Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
The Gazette decided to check up on the money raised by the Fund the Future campaign, where Gil Kemp ’72 matches every dollar given by a Swarthmore student with ten of his own towards the college’s commitment to eliminating loans.
According to Director of Alumni Development Pat Laws, “to date the total is $28,364.05, which includes the match.” She also provided us with a class breakdown of the numbers:
’08 – 45 donors, $548.50 given
’09 – 63 donors, $834
’10 – 56 donors, $725.27
’11 – 31 donors, $445.78
In addition, “there were two anonymous student donors who were matched, but not included in the class totals and one alumnus parent who wasn’t matched.”
Student Council plans to restart the campaign in the first week of October, and Kemp told the Gazette that “I’m open to keep doing it as long as it seems effective!” He continues to be proud of the campaign, writing, “there’s much evidence that people who start giving early in their lives keep on giving in significantly greater fashion than those who don’t. A large part of the reason for this is they discover how good giving makes you feel and are motivated to get more of those good feelings. Positive reinforcement at work! And I feel fortunate to try and be a small catalyst in this process.”
We also asked Kemp what he thought about the naming confusion over the dorm which bears his grandfather’s name. “My own vote would be for Kemp Hall,” he wrote, “though I think my son – who shares his great-grandfather’s name – would like it to be David Kemp! More important than the name is that I think the dorm came out wonderfully! I had a chance to spend two nights in it last June during Alumni Weekend and felt delighted that I could honestly say it was the nicest dorm room I have ever stayed in.”
