Her legacy lives on

In honor of the late Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis and her many efforts in support of students of color during her 36 years as a professor and mentor, the College has renamed its Minority Recruitment Program (MRP) Scholarship Endowment Fund to the Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis Memorial MRP Scholarship Endowment Fund.

Wade-Lewis, who died of cancer on Dec. 30, 2009, was a cherished member of the College faculty and will be remembered for her many contributions, including nurturing the College’s Black Studies Department, now celebrating its 40th year.

The MRP Endowment Fund was originally created in 2000 to provide scholarships to current and future students of color who are academically focused and have substantial financial need.

To date, the endowment campaign’s goal to raise $1 million by December 2010 has realized more than $45,000 in outright gifts and pledges.

College President, Steven Poskanzer said that Margaret Wade-Lewis left an indelible mark on the institution. “I shall always think of Margaret as part of the glue that held this College together. She was a force for social justice, a voice for compassion and a beacon of educational opportunity. She leaves an undying legacy that now falls to all of us to follow her example.”

Individuals interested in contributing a tax deductible gift in memory of Wade-Lewis to the Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis Memorial MRP Scholarship Endowment can do so by contacting a SUNY New Paltz Foundation Gifts Officer at (845) 257-3239 or by visiting www.newpaltz.edu/foundation and then proceed to the upper right corner of the page and click on "make a gift.” You must write in "MRP Endowment" in the line that asks where to direct your gift.