12 años en Delaware • 1996 - 2008 • 12 years in Delaware 12 años en Delaware • 1996 - 2008 • 12 years in Delaware
|
|
|
|
|
DELAWARE TECH RECEIVES LAND DONATION VALUED AT $6.5 MILLION FROM FAMILY OF LATE U.S. SENATOR JOHN J. WILLIAMS
Georgetown, DE -- On Wednesday, January 30 at the Owens Campus of Delaware Tech, Dr. Orlando J. George, Jr., President, announced the donation of a major gift, unprecedented in the history of the College. Mrs. Blanche Baker and her husband Ray, daughter and son-in-law of the late U.S. Senator John J. Williams and his wife Elsie, have donated two parcels of land located between Millsboro and Laurel to Delaware Tech. These two parcels of land, which were once the Williams’ farms, comprise 954 acres and are valued at $6.5 million.
This donation is a continuation of the Williams’ family legacy of outstanding service to the Delaware community. In 1947 John J. Williams of Millsboro began his 24-year career as the United States Senator from Delaware. He retired in 1970, but he had maintained a reputation for honesty and integrity that earned him the nickname, “the conscience of the Senate.” In 1990, after the passing of Senator Williams and his wife, the couple’s family home was conveyed to Delaware Tech for use as a conference center. The College has meticulously cared for the home as a tribute to the family, providing a meeting facility to the community while maintaining the home’s place in history for all to enjoy. Now, in 2008, the Baker family’s gift of land will be sold and the proceeds placed into the Williams & Baker Legacy Endowment to benefit the Owens Campus of Delaware Tech, and its students, according to the wishes of the family.
“Blanche and Ray truly recognize the importance of providing opportunity through education and are helping us give the citizens of this state a chance to discover their potential, a chance to provide for their families, and a chance to give back to their community,” remarked Dr. Orlando J. George, Jr. “Words cannot express the depth of our gratitude, for their gift will impact the lives of not only our students but the communities they serve for generations to come. We are truly grateful for the wonderful opportunity to partner with them in shaping the future of Sussex County.”
Vice President & Campus Director of the Owens Campus, Dr. Ileana M. Smith stated, “It is an honor for Delaware Tech to be associated with the Williams and Baker family, a family known and admired for their deep values of honesty, integrity, and service to others. We are deeply moved by their trust and belief in the college. The annual income from their gift will benefit areas of critical need such as scholarships, instructional equipment, computer technology, campus upkeep, and services for students. It will also provide for the maintenance and upkeep of the John and Elsie Williams Conference Center.”
When presenting the deeds in a ceremony this morning at the Owens Campus, Mrs. Baker noted the impact Delaware Tech has made in Sussex County and Delaware over the last 40 years. Baker remarked, “Ray and I were both born in Sussex County and have lived here our entire lives, and we are thankful to this institution that has meant so much to our beloved county and our state for more than 40 years. We thought of all the students who enriched their lives and the lives of their families because Delaware Tech provided them an opportunity to go to college and get a higher education. We decided we would like to be part of that and I know my mother and father would feel the same way. Every person connected with Delaware Tech has given the most important gift by giving of themselves. We feel that Delaware Tech has earned the gift we presented today and by giving it, we can say thank you.”
Dr. Ileana Smith, Vice President and Campus Director of the Owens Campus, shares a laugh with Mr. and Mrs. Ray and Blanche Bake
Dr. Orlando J. George, Jr, President, accompanied by Dr. Ileana Smith, Vice President and Campus Director, shakes hands with Mrs. Blanche Baker and her husband Ray
Dr. Orlando J. George, Jr., President, reveals the appraised value of the land to a room full of friends of the College and members of the press