The Sachs Scholarship and the Class of 1960
from the 50th Reunion Book of the Class of 1960
After Dan’s untimely death in 1967, friends raised $62,000 to support his widow, Joan, and infant daughter, Alexandra. The hope was that some day the funds might be used to support a scholarship whose mission would be to give to others the opportunity to experience something of the self-discovery Dan had experienced at Oxford. That became possible after Joan remarried. Dennis Sullivan ’70 became the first Scholar. Most recipients have used the Scholarship to spend two years at Worcester College, Oxford, Dan’s own. Others have used it to pursue a year-long study project outside the U.S. and Canada of their own design.
In 1985, with the Scholarship’s endowment precariously low and Oxford tuition rising rapidly, a $50,000 gift by the Class in honor of our 25th Reunion protected the Scholarship’s viability. In gratitude, “The Class of 1960” was added to the Scholarship’s name. Two years later, the tie between the Scholarship and the Class was further strengthened when the Class dues notice began including an annual solicitation, which has added meaningful annual support. In 1997, Harry Lord was appointed representative of the Class to the Scholarship, and in most years joins Dan’s brother, Bill ’66 and a rotating group of former Sachs Scholars who interview and choose the recipient from among the senior class applicants.
Today, the public service, broadly defined, that the Scholarship seeks to encourage is as essential as ever, and the experience of thoughtful reflection, travel and study as valuable as ever to future leaders. Despite the wealth of opportunities for Princeton graduates, the Scholarship has never been more highly sought. It is among the highest honors awarded to undergraduates and enjoys a level of prestige comparable to the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships. The quality of the applicants is extraordinary. The great majority meet the standards of the Scholarship and would benefit from it, and the most outstanding applicants seem more impressive each year.
The Class plans a capital raising initiative after the 50th Reunion to ensure the permanent viability of the Scholarship and to further cement the close relationship between the two.
There have already been several generous contributions. When successful, this will also permit realization of the long-held ambition to award both an Oxford and a traveling Scholarship each year, allowing additional worthy new graduates to benefit from this excellent experience.