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Monmouth College's 'Light This Candle' capital campaign soars past $60 million mark

by Barry McNamara

Monmouth, Ill. (02/01/2021) — Monmouth College's Light This Candle Campaign has reached an impressive milestone, climbing past the $60 million mark with almost two years remaining.

The campaign, which formally kicked off in March 2019, aims to raise a minimum of $75 million by Dec. 31, 2022.

Light This Candle will significantly bolster Monmouth's endowment while focusing specifically on four objectives: increasing financial aid and scholarships available to students; creating more opportunities for faculty and staff support and academic innovation; adding to a capital improvements fund that supports campus infrastructure; and creating a stronger financial base for the College by building an even stronger culture of philanthropy.

"The College's mission statement proudly asserts that 'we empower students to realize their full potential, live meaningful lives, pursue successful careers, and shape their communities and world through service and leadership.' The progress of the Light This Candle Campaign is a result of the deep belief in that mission held by so many people," said Monmouth President Clarence R. Wyatt. "Their generosity enables the College to navigate the challenges confronting all of American higher education with greater confidence and to build the College not just for the present moment, but for generations to come."

The campaign, which stood at $60,945,219 on Jan. 31, was bolstered by a "nice array of donors" in terms of the dollar amount of the gifts and the type of contributions made, according to Monmouth Vice President for Development and College Relations Hannah Maher.

"We're moving forward successfully despite this being a time when we've all been a little unsettled due to the pandemic," said Maher. "We're seeing that people still want to give to the institution, and they're not as hesitant as I might've thought. They're supporting all our different candles and are especially stepping up by funding student scholarships and support, keeping our students at the forefront of the campaign."

Supporting rural America

Roger Ray '53 of Lacey, Wash., is establishing a scholarship that will support students from small towns who study science. Ray came to Monmouth from Abingdon, Illinois, roughly a decade after war heroes (and cousins) James Stockdale and Bobby Dunlap also came to Monmouth from Abingdon, which today has a population of around 3,500.

"When I took calculus my freshman year, I was the only one out of 16 students who hadn't had pre-calculus in high school," said Ray, who makes annual gifts to his alma mater. "So it's important to me to support students who come from a non-college family background, and students who come from small schools and small towns."

Ray said such students flourish at Monmouth.

"I want students to take advantage of what's offered at a school like Monmouth, which gives you a good, broad background," he said. "It's not so much about what you study, it's about learning how to learn - that continued learning that is so important today."

Part of the community

Another donor who worked to set up a scholarship during the campaign was Linda Groves of Galesburg, Illinois, who was married to the late Rob Groves '65. Although she is not a Monmouth graduate, she has always been mindful of what the College means to the town where she was born and raised.

"Monmouth College had always been a part of the Monmouth community," she said, thinking back to her youth of theatre performances and a variety of cultural events held in what is now called Dahl Chapel. "The College gives people an opportunity to express themselves, and for others to see all those types of genres expressed."

She also fondly recalled Monmouth students going into the community in the 1960s and serving as tutors through a program at Jamieson Community Center.

"I absolutely love Monmouth College, and even though I'm not a graduate of Monmouth, I still felt the need for supporting students," said Groves, who created the Robert & Linda Groves Scholarship through a gift she'll pay off over the next five years. The only criteria of the scholarship are to be a Warren County resident with financial need.

"Education is expensive - we all know that," she said. "There are so many people who want to go to college but can't afford it. So we need to support that. If we don't do it, who will?"

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