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By Jill Spotz
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
–Desmond Tutu
Lafayette welcomed 10 new members of Société d’Honneur, the College’s philanthropic honor society, on Thursday. President Alison Byerly hosted the induction ceremony in coordination with Board Chair Robert Sell ’84.
The newest members are Robert H. Britton ’44 and Helen Christensen Britton GP’02, Donald C. Dates ’56 and Suzanne R. Dates, John L. Hatfield ’67 and Jean Hatfield, Bruce Maggin ’65 and Jacqueline M. Maggin P’02, and Kenneth B. Tator ’63 and Maureen Tator.
Société d’Honneur was formed in 1986 by the Board of Trustees to recognize exceptional philanthropy. The financial support of the 29 inaugural members spanned the first 160 years of the College’s history. Today, Société d’Honneur is 145 members strong.
Each member received a statue of the Marquis de Lafayette based on an original piece of art executed in 1881 by noted French sculptor Aimé-Jules Dalou. The names of the inductees also are inscribed on the wall at Société d’Honneur Plaza, which was recently renovated in honor of the 30th anniversary of the society.
Serving as master of ceremonies during the event, Byerly remarked that the honorees “share a heartwarming passion for making a difference for our world, not only through their financial support but also through their service to others. On this special occasion, as I express the Lafayette College community’s gratitude for their extraordinary generosity, I also thank them for setting such an inspirational standard for serving others not only within the College but beyond the College,” she said.
About the honorees
Robert H. Britton ’44 and Helen Christensen Britton GP’02 created the Erik Britton Kolb ’02 Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of their grandson. The fund pays tribute to Kolb by helping deserving students realize their dream of studying at Lafayette.
Donald C. Dates ’56 and Suzanne R. Dates were inducted posthumously. As a result of their bequest, Lafayette faculty and staff now have additional resources to create transformative learning opportunities for students.
John L. Hatfield ’67 and Jean Hatfield have supported many initiatives at the College including an endowed professorship and a student scholarship, which supports faculty and students in the international affairs program. In 2006, the Hatfields created an endowment to support the John L. Hatfield ’67 Lecture series, which is hosted by Friends of Skillman Library. They also are establishing a fund to provide international affairs faculty with resources to enhance the educational experience and a prize fund to recognize exceptional performance by international affairs students.
Bruce Maggin ’65 and Jacqueline M. Maggin P’02 were honored for their generous support of the CaPA Scholars program, which is enhancing the Lafayette experience for students interested in the arts, and acknowledges Bruce’s own personal connection to the arts as an undergraduate.
Kenneth B. Tator ’63 and Maureen Tator’s shared passion for supporting students who otherwise might not be able to afford a Lafayette education motivated them to create the Kenneth B. ’63 and Maureen Tator Scholarship Fund, which is helping Lafayette bring deserving engineering students to the College.