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The brick that read “Cyrus Fleck Sr. 1920” could be thought of as a building block for even greater things to come.
During a slightly soggy ceremony Saturday afternoon during Reunion Weekend, the little red brick helped kick off something much larger, namely the creation of the Fleck Consistent Giving Society to honor those whose consistent financial commitments to Lafayette will live on for generations to come.
Not that there’s any shortage of those whose benevolence allows Lafayette to build on its reputation as one of the nation’s leading liberal arts schools.
Guidelines for the new society call for induction of alumni who have given to the College consistently for five or more years and for bricks to honor those who have given consistently for 10 or more years. More than 3,700 alumni qualify as charter members of the Fleck Society, and more than 2,300 of those will qualify for named bricks.
That’s a lot of bricks.
Their significance was not lost on Lafayette President Dan Weiss, who welcomed Cy Fleck Jr. ’52 to the ceremony and expressed how indebted the College is to the Fleck family for its more than 80 years of commitment, both financially and personally.
“We honor Cy Fleck Sr. and Cy Fleck Jr., who have honored the College in so many ways,” Weiss said just before presenting the latter with his father’s inscribed brick.
Behind that brick is the story of generations of involvement by the Flecks.
Cy Fleck Sr. ’20 served as a College trustee for 47 years and then was honored as emeritus trustee. He lived to the ripe age of 101, spanning parts of three centuries, and his involvement with Lafayette is legendary.
As for the younger Fleck, he graduated with a degree in government and law and worked at his alma mater for close to four-and-a-half decades.
Cy Jr. was hired as a member of the development office staff, but spent most of his career as registrar. When he retired from that position in 1997, he stayed on as special assistant to former President Arthur J. Rothkopf ’55. He served as director of Lafayette’s study-abroad program and earned the Administrator of the Year award.
Upon receiving the brick, a glowing Fleck said he was honored, and emphasized how critical it is for alumni to give back to the College.
“I think that’s what we have to shoot for and move ahead with,” he said. “Dad certainly was a believer in giving back to the community and especially the College.”
Fleck was pleased at having his family’s name carried forth in such a prestigious fashion.
“I think it is a tremendous honor to have something this special named after the family,” he said. “I’m very confident in the future of the College.”
Joining Fleck at the ceremony was his wife Jane. Opening remarks were presented by Susan B. Carras ’76, Lafayette trustee and chair of the Lafayette Annual Fund.