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News from PRINCETON UNIVERSITY For immediate release: July 31, 2002 Contact: Contact: Marilyn Marks, 609-258-3601 or mmarks@princeton.edu Princetonians contribute $36.4 million in 2001-02 Annual Giving campaignPRINCETON, N.J. -- Princeton's alumni, parents and friends contributed $36.4 million to the 2001-02 Annual Giving campaign, with 58.3 percent of all undergraduate alumni participating. The total raised is the second highest in the history of Annual Giving, following last year's record high. The members of the Class of 1952, celebrating their 50th reunion, became the first class ever to raise more than $6 million. Their all-time-record total of $6,047,713 came from 83.2 percent of the class. The Class of 1997 set a record for the fifth reunion, raising $192,711, with a participation rate of 61.3 percent. The Class of 1963, which raised $551,063, broke their own record for a class not celebrating a major reunion. The Class of 1932 set a 70th Reunion record, bringing in $177,141. And, crucial to the success of this year's effort, the 25th Reunion Class of 1977 raised a total of $4,261,591. "Annual Giving is the fuel that fires Princeton's excellence," said President Shirley M. Tilghman, who herself contributed to the Parents Fund and all 11 of the classes of which she is an honorary member. "All of us here on campus are deeply appreciative of this wonderful expression of support by our alumni, parents and friends." Among the major reunion classes, the Class of 1942's participation rate of 84.3 percent was the highest. Even higher was the 100 percent participation achieved by the 33 members of the class of 1931. The Class of 1939 surpassed the 90 percent mark for the 11th consecutive year. And among the youngest ten classes, 2001 had the highest participation rate - 62.7 percent - with the Class of 1998 a close second at 62.6 percent (their fourth consecutive year over 60 percent.) Graduate School alumni donated $709,811, the Parents Fund totaled $1,478.691, and memorial gifts added $724,665 to the 2001-02 total. "With all the difficulties that this year presented, our volunteers made an extra effort to contact their friends and classmates," said James E. Crawford III '68, national chair of the Annual Giving effort, "and our alumni responded generously to ensure that Princeton has the resources it needs." Annual Giving is the yearly appeal Princeton makes for unrestricted funds, which can be used immediately to meet the University's most important needs and opportunities, including faculty recruitment and retention, financial aid, and library and computer resources. Each year approximately 10 percent of Princeton's overall budget for education and general expenses is raised through Annual Giving. |