In 2001, when Jerry Pickholz received a solicitation letter from his alma mater Baruch College, he did something few do. He wrote back saying the requested amount was too modest (in fact, he had been giving a larger annual gift for years). “My class’s 50th anniversary was coming up, and I thought there should be a more grandiose plan, that we should ask for a major contribution, and support a worthy cause,” recalls the alumnus.
Pickholz teamed with several fellow alums and Baruch’s Advancement Office to begin a three-year campaign with the goal of raising $1 million for the 50th anniversary in 2003. He didn’t know what the drive would ultimately bring in, but whatever it did, Pickholz wanted it to go to help students. “I wanted our class gift to provide scholarships to however many students we could, who were worthy and burdened by tuition,” he says.
Pickholz describes the essence of the letters he wrote and phone calls he made as asking classmates “to give as a thank-you for the education they received, for the first job they landed, and their successful careers assisted by the degrees they received.”
As part of the campaign, Pickholz reached out to selected leaders in the class, including Jack Nash (’53, LHD [Hon.] ’98), who offered to match gifts if the drive could raise $25,000. In spite of the dot.com bust at that time, the initiative was successful and then some, and Nash’s challenge was met.
How did the fund come to be known as the Norman Darer Class of ’53 scholarship? Pickholz explains: “One contributor made his gift in honor of Norman Darer. Norman was an outstanding student, bright, personable, charismatic, and president of our senior class. Darer went on to make a name for himself in broadcasting but tragically died at a very young age. For all these reasons, he was an ideal person to be honored.” Baruch’s development office reached out to the Darer family, who was honored by the recognition and made its own contribution and commitments to the scholarship fund drive.
“The whole experience was gratifying,” says Pickholz. “I made a ton of phone calls, and in making phone calls, I talked to people I hadn’t talked to for 50 years.” He also received letters from classmates, and people came up to him to make his acquaintance at the special Commencement festivities for the jubilee class. Pickholz had become something of a celebrity.
“The scholarship drive gave me an opportunity to renew old friendships and create new ones,” says the alumnus, who even discovered another classmate “under his own roof.” Unbeknownst to Pickholz, there was another member of the Class of ’53 residing in his own apartment building.
Pickholz continues to be gratified by the generosity that his class showed on behalf of current students. “Think of the luxury we had of going to a free college and then think about what kids go through today,” he says. And after a pause, he adds, “I think we have to go to work on a 60th anniversary initiative. I would give that a shot.”
—Diane Harrigan