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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Feb. 24, 1996
Contact: Jacquelyn Savani (609) 258-5728

Princeton Alumni To Receive Annual Giving Awards

Feb. 24, 1996 -- At Princeton University's Alumni Day ceremonies, two members of the class of 1970--John J. Loose and Charles E.P. Wood--received one of the University's most prestigious volunteer honors: the Harold H. Helm Award for ``sustained and exemplary service'' to Princeton's Annual Giving effort.

Loose, an attorney, is a partner in the law firm of Fraser, Trebilcock, Davis in Lansing, Mich., and Wood is president of C.E. Peterson & Co., a bank mergers and acquisition firm, in Pasadena, Calif. The two were selected for the award in recognition of their long-term volunteer service to the University and for their inspired teamwork, which led to the Class of 1970 raising over $4 million on the occasion of their 25th reunion--a new record for any Princeton class. The Class of 1970 also will be honored at the ceremonies with the Class of 1926 Trophy, which is given each year to the class raising the largest sum in the Annual Giving campaign ending the previous June 30.

``This is the first time the Helm Award has been presented to two people and the first time that the winner's class has received the `26 Trophy on the same occasion,'' said William M. Hardt, director of Annual Giving at Princeton. ``These seem to me especially fitting distinctions following the extraordinary success of the 25th reunion efforts of John Loose and Charles Wood.''

As captains of the Class of 1970's fund-raising efforts, Loose served as class agent and Wood as Special Gifts chair for their 25th class reunion. Wood often traveled from his home base in California for meetings and events in Princeton and New York City. His recruitment efforts were key to Class of 70's record-setting contributions, which included the largest single gift to Annual Giving from a woman alumna since Princeton became a coed institution in 1969. As Class Agent, Loose has been described as ``delightfully tenacious'' in his ability to motivate and pursue his classmates for gifts to their alma mater. Together, the two created an atmosphere of good fellowship that yielded outstanding results for Princeton.

First presented in 1978, the Helm Award was named in honor of the late Harold H. Helm of the Class of 1920. A legendary fundraiser, Helm was Princeton's first chair of Annual Giving. The award carries a $6,000 prize that will be credited this year to the Class of 1970's Annual Giving total.

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