Stephen Daniel ’82, Gift Honors Former Board Chair
Stephen S. Daniel ’82 has made a $1-million gift to the Wesleyan Campaign in honor of his father, D. Ronald Daniel ’52, former chair of Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees.
In recognition of this gift, Wesleyan will name the dining room on the top floor of the new University Center for Ron Daniel and his family. The room will have a sunny southern exposure with sweeping views of Olin Memorial Library, Andrus Field, and Foss Hill. Completion of the University Center is slated for the spring of 2007.
“I wanted to honor my father in a significant way for all he has done for me,” Daniel said recently. “He is an excellent role model and has touched the lives of many people.”
Ron Daniel is the recipient of both an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Wesleyan (1988) and the Baldwin Medal, the highest honor awarded by the alumni body. He was a member of the board from 1969?87 and served as chairman from 1980?87. He is a director of the international managementconsulting firm McKinsey and Company and served as the firm’s managing partner from 1976?88.
In addition to honoring his father, Stephen Daniel intends his gift to recognize the influence Wesleyan has had on his own life. A sociology major at Wesleyan, he earned an M.B.A. degree from Yale University and is now a managing director of Allco Finance Corporation, a New York City investmentbanking firm. He is also a member of the Wesleyan Campaign Council.
Wesleyan not only provided a forum for open discussion, it also introduced him to students who remain among his closest friends, he says. “I think Wesleyan is a profoundly important place, especially in today’s world. It is a place where all voices can be heard and where students can engage in dispassionate discourse and not be stifled because of differing opinions or politics.”
Inspired by Professor Emeritus of English George Creeger, who taught a course about historical architecture in Connecticut, Daniel and his wife, Mary Beth, have restored two old New England houses and are currently restoring a 1768 farmhouse in the Hudson Valley, where they spend weekends and holidays with their children. The two are actively involved in local historical and preservationist efforts.
He and his brothers, David ’77 and Peter, have also honored their father through their support of the D. Ronald Daniel ’52 Endowed Wesleyan Scholarship.
His gift supports the Campus Renewal Fund, a component of the Wesleyan Campaign dedicated to Wesleyan’s campus master plan.
