The Alumnae and Alumni of Vassar College (AAVC) have selected the Philadelphia Vassar Club to receive the first Spirit of Vassar award for its Philadelphia Show House fundraising project. The award will be made Saturday, October 6, at the AAVC annual Volunteer Leadership Conference in Poughkeepsie.
The Show House is one of the longest running, most complex, and most successful scholarship fundraising projects for Vassar. In 1966, taking advantage of people's interest in other people's homes, Philadelphia Vassar Club President Jane Dubbs McPherson and her board persuaded interior designers and landscapers to work their magic on a large home or mansion for free, then open up the house for public viewing and charge admission. In 1967, the club opened the doors to its first Vassar Show House; they netted about $9,500, which they donated to the college. "The ladies of the Philadelphia Show House have been fantastic," says Vassar President Frances Fergusson. "They do an amazing job, taking houses that are quite decrepit and even ruined, seeing their potential and turning them into beautiful show houses that garner attention throughout the Northeast. They do this year after year, spending thousands of hours of time, with unflagging spirits, all to support Vassar and our fine students. I admire them all greatly." The event has become an annual spring fixture on the Philadelphia social calendar. It attracts thousands of visitors and has netted nearly $3 million in scholarship money that has helped 350 students from the area attend Vassar over the past 45 years.
The Vassar Leadership Conference is a weekend-long program including workshops for Vassar Volunteers, classroom visiting opportunities, interaction with faculty and administrators, special academic programs designed exclusively for volunteers, the AAVC Council meeting, and the chance to meet and talk to today's students. It draws representatives from the classes, clubs, affiliate groups, admissions committees, fund-raisers, and members of AAVC's national Board of Directors. The conference is a collaborative effort of the AAVC, the Development Office, the Office of Admissions, and the Career Development Office.
Vassar College is a highly selective, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861. Vassar has been coeducational since 1969.
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Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.
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