The meeting, by teleconference, commenced at 2100 EDT. Present were Galloway, Stephenson, Voorhees, Schwehm, Kehoe, Gadd, Stevens and Wells. Absent were McNeil, Kovel, Golden and Class Trustee Hatch.

The minutes of the previous meeting, 19 July 2005, were approved.

This meeting was called to discuss 50th year anniversary gift matters. Galloway attended the Senior Leaders Conference 11-13 August at West Point and concurrently gained new information and insights on gift possibilities for the new library. His discussions with library personnel convinced him that our intention of gifting an area within the new library devoted to the honor concept and overlooking our honor plaza is not as desirable a prospect as we had envisioned. The only such area now available is a mere corner on the fifth floor, not a high-visibility location.

Galloway presented other options and each was discussed in detail.

1. A 40-person tiered classroom in the library basement, to be used by the Center for Enhanced Development. The Center will use it for general instruction, and it will also be available for use by extra-curricular activities and other group meetings. Appropriate Class of 1957 memorialization would be provided. The cost of this gift to West Point is $625,000.

2. A 29-person tiered instructional lab on the fourth floor for general instruction in courses and programs designated by the Dean and the Librarian, and also available for use by extra-curricular activities and other group meetings. This will be a high-tech computerized facility. Appropriate memorialization would be provided. This is also a $625,000 gift item.

3. An "honor kiosk" on the third floor in an area that gets considerable cadet traffic. The centerpiece would be a screen display of material concerning the history of the honor code and the role of honor in contemporary military and civilian society. Display shelves would present artifacts relating to the concept of honor and the honor code, e.g., MacArthur’s "Duty, Honor, Country" speech and Len Marrella’s manuscript. This is a $317,000 gift item.

4. A coffee bar (as in Barnes& Noble and Borders, a cadet suggestion) at the main entrance. It would be operated by Cadet Activities and available to cadets and faculty. Obviously, this will be a high-traffic, high-visibility area. This is a $350,000 gift item.

5. Additionally, Galloway understands from USMA that we can gift both the kiosk and the coffee bar. The amount for such a combination is $625,000.

Discussion of this last proposal provided further insight into the gifting process, particularly in the case of new construction such as the library. A gift of $625,000 would cover a $500,000 contribution to the overall library project, $75,000 for AOG administration (a standard 15%), and $50,000 for a maintenance endowment. This sort of arrangement is standard practice in college and university gifting. Further, the contribution to the project element, $500,000 in this example, would typically exceed the actual construction cost or enhanced furnishing of the facility or item that represents the gift. The remainder, which may be considerable, goes to other enhancements elsewhere within the library which are not available through appropriated funding.

The board debated the proposals, considering factors such as cadet/faculty/visitor traffic, cost, prestige, visibility, location, attraction, meaningfulness, relativity, longevity and utility. The board eventually accepted the option of the coffee bar and honor kiosk, pending Galloway’s confirming with USMA that the proposition remains viable. He will refine the concept descriptions and justifications for the board’s approval and for further use as a basis for correspondence to the class for review and discussion.

Stephenson noted board members’ concerns that class gifts can be vulnerable to changing Academy requirements. Our 30-year gift corridor in the gym, for instance, may very well have been discarded in the new construction. Thankfully, it has survived. He proposed that we seek out a policy statement from USMA that the Academy will preserve class gifts in some equivalent fashion in the event that changing needs dictate changes in their original placement or character. Galloway pointed out that a gift of the Class of 1953 has been moved several times . He will investigate.


The board again discussed fund raising initiatives. Our gift fund currently stands at approximately $300,000. We have pledged, but not yet committed, $25,000 for future maintenance of the honor plaza. Additionally, we shall need funds for various support activities involving the class of 2007. Presuming a gift on the order of $625,000 is desired, an amount approaching $400,000 must be raised. To reach this goal, the board agreed in principle that a small group of selected classmates be approached for pledges. With the total of their commitments known, a suggested contribution amount from the class can be more accurately estimated.

Galloway noted the recent announcement of the AOG Nominating Committee’s selections for members of the Board of Directors and the Advisory Council. Our candidates, Bill Ray for Director, and Warne Mead and Len Marrella for Advisors were not selected for nomination. The board joined Galloway in expressing disappointment that they were overlooked. Voorhees reported that of the 14 individuals nominated for Director, nine had resigned their commissions. Eleven of the 20 Advisor candidates had resigned, for 20 of 34 overall. Some had served in the reserve forces. He reminded that this Nominating Committee is a vestige of the old order, part of the self-perpetuating system that has been criticized so often and spiritedly in past years. In accordance with the new Constitution, the composition of future nominating committees will be considerably broader, composed of graduates named by the Societies and the Classes in addition to some from the AOG. Additionally, the criteria for choosing candidates, as provided in the new Constitution, will give weight to the prospective candidates’ military service.

On that somewhat more hopeful note, the meeting adjourned at 2155 EDT.

Respectfully Submitted,