Having worked on women's issues since the early 70s, locally in Marin County with Status of Women Commission and NWPC (National Women's Political Caucus) and running political campaigns, then statewide, then nationally-best effort to date was helping get Title IX accomplished!!! I had four sons in four different areas-Cornell '58' New York '60, Kingston-BWI '61, and San Francisco '68' while working at any jobs I could find to add to our meager budget and had co-founded our architectural firm for first 4-5 years and was ready and able to move into my "calling"..... I got interested in helping awaken Middlebury when they brought a video presentation promoting the school to west coast alums....and it did not show any women, really!! When I mentioned this to the president, he seemed surprised.....so I said to myself that I had better find out more about women's studies and status of women on campus.
I started supporting the program, and the building of Chellis House. Noting my interest, they asked me to become a part of the Board of Trustees! I gave fair warning that I would be a "pain" but it seemed best to work from the inside, so I took the challenge and spent ten years being a "thorn in their side" and learning to love Middlebury under John McCardell's (and Ron's) visionary leadership. The establishment of the Fraker library through the tragic loss of their daughter was remarkable, the awarding of women-oriented projects done by students, the drama dept. growth under brilliant leadership of professors there and naming an award honoring my comedic and musically talented mother, Marie Lafferty Cortell all came naturally in this exposure. I have met such fine women leaders and students through these programs, and been so inspired to donate where I can help progress...I am the lucky one!
I have a lengthy resume of some 30 organizations I have supported on boards and as a consultant, and a donor, etc....but the joy of seeing such progress for women, who certainly DO hold up half the sky, has made it all worthwhile....sometimes sooooo frustrating, or exhausting or discouraging......keeps me smiling. I am knee-deep in supporting the IEAW right now, Initiative to Educate Afghan Women, (website is ieaw.org), and watching these amazing and courageous young women teach US to keep hoping...never a dull moment. I have 4 fabulous sons, 4 wonderful daughters-in-law and 10 amazing grandkids, 7 girls and 3 boys, YAY...ranging in age from 26 down to 1 year old. IMAGINE A QUARTER-CENTURY OF THEM, AND A DREAM COME TRUE IN OUR SUCCESSFUL DESIGN FIRM! My husband is the nicest person I have ever met, and we have had a wonderful "ride" working toward the best in our business, success and love of our big "family of 3500+" around the world and helping in education and health research and other charitable endeavors as we prospered....keep giving me ways to stimulate solutions to human betterment and I will be there!