Looking to the Future

A Weekend 175 Years in the Making

To formally kick off the public phase of the seven-year Connect Today, Create Tomorrow campaign, we invited everyone. The kickoff’s timing on Oct. 20 during Homecoming and Family Weekend was designed to encourage as many alumni, family, friends, and faculty and staff to take part in the festivities as possible. After the Board of Trustees’ noon vote to take the campaign public (see Campaign Kick-Off Week story and OWU Timescapes article) the big moment came that evening when the total raised in the three-year leadership phase of the campaign was revealed during a party in Edwards Gymnasium. The party also featured the debut of a special four-minute campaign video, which can be viewed at owu.edu/campaign.

President Rock Jones had some help from the students of the Ohio Wesleyan University Student Alumni Association to reveal how much had been raised toward the $200 million campaign goal during the three-year “quiet” leadership phase of the campaign: $140,001,129, as of October 2017. For updated progress, visit owu.edu/campaign.
Maribeth Amrhein Graham ’55, a life trustee, greets Bob the Bishop, who is dressed in formal wear for the kickoff party.
Susan Palmer (left), who along with her husband Thomas Palmer ’69, endowed a fund for The OWU Connection, enjoys the balloon “tunnel” from the Founder’s Circle ceremony to the kickoff party in Edwards Gymnasium, along with Colleen Garland, vice president for university advancement.

Return to the Winter 2018 OWU Magazine