June 2009 - A Strong Foundation
These visionaries came to Pitzer over four decades ago, laying the foundation for the College to provide an unparalled liberal arts education. Continue their legacy—invest in Pitzer's future. Now it's your turn. Support the Annual Fund today!
Visionary leaders have created Pitzer’s strong foundation. Dr. Steve Glass, Founding Faculty Member and McCarthy Professor of Classics and Classical Archaeology describes the beginnings of the College: “When we were about to open our doors in the fall of 1964, the very first faculty members met for a week or two to discuss what kind of institution Pitzer ought to be. We wanted the first students to participate. Out of those meetings emerged the view of Pitzer as a community.”
Dr. Agnes Moreland Jackson echoes Dr. Glass’ sentiments. “The Pitzer impulse is positive. The College wants to talk the talk and walk the walk. Of all the Claremont schools, it is the best at training students to be better citizens.”
Strong leaders have paved the path for Pitzer’s success. Dr. Glass remembers: “Along the way there were growing pains for the College. Most of those were financial considerations. We have lived in genteel poverty since the very beginning. Yet, it is remarkable how much the College has accomplished with so little. The economy fell on hard times not long after the College was founded so we have been hit very hard. Despite that, Pitzer has always been seen as a place where all things are possible.”
Founding faculty members Professor Steve Glass and Professor Emerita Agnes Moreland Jackson.
Dr. Jackson agrees that financial contributions are critical to Pitzer’s continued success: “We need to attract a lot more money to give the scholarships that we need to give. We must have people invested in the College that want to see us here for the next 200 years. Pitzer needs to be the home for the best minds and the best hearts. Here, students can experience their own sense of greatness.”