Honor, commitment, service, leadership, friendship, discovery…all facets of the Converse education and experience.
Since its founding, the Converse experience has been enriched by the gifts of generous alumnae, parents, friends, trustees, faculty, staff, community leaders, corporations and foundations who believe in the value of a Converse education. Our Giving Societies celebrate the College’s most dedicated and generous donors. Membership in a Lifetime Giving Society is Converse’s most prestigious recognition for the generosity of donors who have a vital role in sharing the our future. Membership is based on cumulative giving over time.
Membership in a Lifetime Giving Society is Converse’s most prestigious recognition for the generosity of donors who have a vital role in sharing the College’s future. Membership is based on cumulative giving over time.
The first President of Converse, the Reverend Benjamin Franklin Wilson (1890-1902), is credited for building one of the finest colleges in our country whose every effort was to guide, help, strengthen and enlighten. One student said upon hearing of the beloved President’s retirement, “You are the College; its very life and soul.”
President Robert P. Pell (1902-1932) is recognized for building up the College’s physical plant, endowments and academic standards during his 30-year term, which also saw the education of over 3000 students. Dr. Pell’s departing words were “please remember that my interest in the College deepens every day.”
President Edward M. Gwathmey (1933-1955) is remembered for his unusual sense of beauty as evidenced on the campus, his wisdom in selecting faculty, his effective administrative organization and for leaving the college free from general indebtedness. His parting words still ring true today “God bless you and help you to build a better future for Converse College which we all love.”
President Oliver C. Carmichael, Jr. (1956-1960) was a forceful leader who brought Converse from the background to the forefront of American education with his untiring zeal and genius for organization and long-range planning. During the short space of four years, he orchestrated the tripling of the College’s assets. Upon his retirement announcement, Mrs. T. Kenneth Cribb (Dicksie Brown, B.A., 1946) stated in a Converse College Alumnae Association resolution “Every alumna owes to Dr. Carmichael a debt of gratitude and a heartfelt vote of thanks for the inspiration, enthusiasm, and unrelenting energy he has devoted to the task of forwarding our College in educating and equipping her many students.”
President Robert T. Coleman, Jr.’s (1961-89) tenure leading the College can be summed up in two words: Expansion and Change. President Coleman, who oversaw decades of new construction and enrollment increases, including a more ethnically diverse and service-minded student body, was a visionary who realized Converse would need increased loyalty and generous financial contributions from alumnae, parents, friends, and educational foundations. His rally call to alumnae then, as it is now, is “on increasing support in recruitment of students and annual giving.”
Honoring the leadership of Dr. Ellen Wood Hall (1989-1993), Dr. Sandra C. Thomas (1994-1998), Nancy Oliver Gray (1999-2004), Dr. Elizabeth Anne Fleming (2005 -2016) and Krista L. Newkirk (2016 to present) who hold the distinction of being the first female Presidents of Converse College. Each has faithfully upheld the principles of the institution, cherishing and guarding the traditions and keeping the honor of Converse College forever sacred.
The Miss Gee Legacy Society is comprised of those wishing to leave a lasting legacy to Converse by including the College in their will or by making a planned gift. Learn more about the Miss Gee Legacy Society and how you can be included.
Guests attend a spring donor appreciation event at the Weisiger Center Annual giving societies recognize donors who contribute to Converse within a given year. Your ongoing support of the Converse Annual Fund helps bridge the gap between tuition and the actual cost of a Converse education by funding scholarships, programming, campus maintenance, and providing critical operational support.
