Lafayette Honors Buck Family for Generous Support

The College is honoring the Buck family for nearly 100 years of generous support with a reception 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16, followed by dinner with newly inaugurated President Alison Byerly.

Members of the Buck family pose near the newly built squash courts at the dedication of the Allan P. Kirby Sports Center in fall 2000. From left to right are: Sally Buck (wife of Whip), the late Alexander K. “Whip” Buck ’53, William C. “Bill” Buck ’50, and Laura Buck (wife of Bill).

The reception will be held in the Simon Room of Skillman Library, where a collection of photos and letters written by Grace Buck to her sons, William “Bill” C. Buck ’50 and Alexander “Whip” Buck ’53, and to College administrators will be on display.

Bill Buck is the last surviving member of the immediate Buck family with ties to the College. He will attend the ceremony and presidential dinner with his wife, Laura, but will represent the philanthropic spirit of his father, mother, and brother.

The Bucks’ affiliation with Lafayette began with the late J. Mahlon Buck ’21, Grace’s husband. The Bucks’ gifts include:

• The Buck Family Endowment Fund for Music, endowed in 1981 by Grace Buck and her three sons. It supports instructional programs in music.
• The J. Mahlon Buck Library Fund, endowed in 1959 by J. Mahlon Buck ’21, William C. Buck ’50, and Alexander K. Buck ’53. It is used for books on music and recordings.
• The Music Room in Skillman Library
• The Buck Concert Series, endowed in 1970. Grace Buck took a personal interest in these performances and attended several. The 2013-14 J. Mahlon & Grace Buck Concert will take place Feb. 2, featuring Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, with violinist Vadim Repin.
• The “Buck Courts” for squash in Kirby Sports Center, named in recognition of their generosity to the Lafayette Leadership Campaign. They were dedicated in 2000.