Donor Stories
Joe Doolittle Funds Gift Annuity to Support Colgate and Leave a Legacy for Future Generations
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Gay and Alden (Joe) Doolittle Alden (Joe) Doolittle ’67 says he chose Colgate because he was captivated by the beauty of the campus and the promise of the curriculum. He benefited from three supportive communities on campus: his Kappa Delta Rho fraternity brothers, the swim team that he swam for then managed, and the Colgate Thirteen. Since graduation Joe has remained involved with Colgate by chairing the Albany Alumni Club in the 1980s, serving as class president since 1992, being elected to the Alumni Council in 2015, and chairing the Class of 1967’s 50th reunion.
“Through the core curriculum I gained an appreciation of philosophy, the arts, and current social and international issues, which I don’t believe I would have experienced elsewhere,” Joe says. “Given the scope of activities, I learned to multi-task, prioritize, and perhaps most of all: how to learn.”
Joe always maintained a modest annual contribution to Colgate. “At this stage of life,” he says, “we’ve done a bit of pondering on where the blessings of life could be shared. The opportunity to fund a deferred gift annuity made it easier to simply transfer some of our portfolio to Colgate and continue to draw income. We enjoy the flexibility of choosing when to start receiving payments. Another element was tying our Class Scholarship to Camp Fiver. Many of us in the class stand in awe of Tom Tucker ’67 and the others who launched the program. We see it as a simple extension of the Colgate curriculum and spirit.”
And in that spirit, Joe went on to share another story from his KDR days. He had two fraternity brothers from Uganda, John Okello and Sam Ammukun. The Colgate track coach also coached the Ugandan International Team. “We were fraternity brothers and friends and shared beers and long conversations about a world of differences and similarities and simple joys. After graduation, John was headed home for the first time in four years. A small group of us were standing on the lawn of the KDR house, trying to figure out goodbye. John smiled at us. ‘Fellows,’ he said, “In my country we have no word for goodbye. We just say ‘Whenever.’ He hugged us all around and went back into to the house to finish packing. We never saw each other again.
“John Okello died in 1976, a victim of the purge of Ugandan elite by Idi Amin. And so to you, my friends, who have shared conversations about a world of differences and similarities and simple joys, may we continue to carry and reflect the spirit that is Colgate in the world we touch. Whenever. Live True.”
Joe enjoyed a 35-year career as an executive in healthcare management. His wife Gay was self-employed as an interior designer. The couple met at church camp when they were 10 and 11 years old. They have two sons and two granddaughters.
“Colgate is a rare experience and continues to adapt to the current scene,” says Joe. “Its faculty and staff are extraordinary as are its students who, as alumni, continue to find leadership roles in many areas of life. As alumni, Colgate is part of our history. As people who have been blessed with more than enough, Colgate can become part of our legacy. Not necessarily for what Colgate was for us, but for what Colgate’s future can be for coming generations.”
The discussion herein is general in nature and may not apply to all individuals. Prospective donors are urged to consult their personal tax and financial advisors concerning the specific consequences of making gifts to Colgate. We would be pleased to discuss, in confidence, ways in which you may support Colgate. These measures may also have an impact on your estate planning.
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