Proceedings of the Board of Regents (1963-1966)

NOVEMBER MEETING, 1965

1127

Two important questions, the Vice-President said, were raised in
soliciting corporations: the first, "How does a corporation justify giving
to a tax-assisted university?"; and the second, "How can the gift serve
the immediate interests and needs of the corporation so that its stockholders would be satisfied?"
Mr. Jack H. Shuler, General Attorney of the Michigan Bell Telephone Company, had been secured, the Vice-President said, as National
Alumni Chairman. Volunteer leadership and the top leadership at the
broad policy and strategic levels, unfortunately, were still not complete
in being organized. As a consequence, Regent Paul Goebel, the National
Chairman of the $55 Million Program, had assumed extraordinary
burdens with remarkable success.
In concluding, the Vice-President for University Relations said
whereas in July, 1965, thirty-five areas had been organized-thirteen in
Michigan and twenty-two outside the state, today, seventy-three areas
were organized-thirty-three in Michigan and forty outside the state.
These areas involved more than five hundred workers as chairmen and
committee members in twenty-three states. Luncheons or dinners to
establish local committees had been held in Bay City, Ypsilanti, in
Minneapolis-St. Paul, where President Hatcher had appeared; in Dayton, Ohio, where Vice-President Niehuss had addressed fifty-eight
volunteers, and in Cincinnati, where he addressed fifty-five volunteers;
and in Kalamazoo, where Mr. Goebel, President Hatcher, and the
Vice-President for University Relations had met with sixty volunteers.
Dean Van Wylen had appeared in Denver and Colorado Springs to help
begin the drive in those two cities. Regent Cudlip was planning to appear
in Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Colorado Springs in the next few weeks.
New field directors had been employed in the New York and Chicago
field territories. Mr. Allen Buck, a member of the professional staff, had
been hired by Yale University. He had been replaced by Mr. Russell
Newcomb, who was now the new Director of Publicity and Promotion.
In concluding, the Vice-President for University Relations said the
first example of mobilizing alumni in a highly organized campaign by a
tax-supported institution had been undertaken by The University of
Michigan for its Michigan Union in 1914-15.
Regent Goebel was pleased to point out that the 2,800 gifts presented
to the University in the period October 1 to October 31, 1965, amounted
to more than $600,000. It meant that more than $20,000 per day had
been contributed. This, he noted, was not considered an unusually
heavy month of giving. The task at hand, however, was directing the
giving to the $55 Million Program. Regent Goebel was pleased and
encouraged to see the testamentary gifts which were coming to the
University each month. He believed the $55 Million Program would
encourage the number of such gifts. He also believed it would bring to
the University an increasing number of such expressions of affection
and regard. Finally, Regent Goebel referred to the excellent statement
made by Lynn A. Townsend, President of the Chrysler Corporation, in
his brief address, "The Price of Excellence," which he gave at the
National Leadership Conference of the $55 Million Program on October 1, 1965. Regent Goebel was pleased to quote as follows from that
address: