HWS News
16 October 2024 Celebrating the New Seneca Society Members By Andrew Wickenden '09
HWS honors extraordinary philanthropy.
This fall, eight of Hobart and William Smith’s most dedicated supporters were officially welcomed into the Seneca Society.
“Our Seneca Society members have remarkably altered the course of Hobart and William Smith, with leadership and devotion that has established the financial foundation of our future,” says President Mark D. Gearan, citing this year’s inductees, Cassandra Naylor Brooks '89 and Andrew M. Brooks; Fred L. Emerson Foundation; Peggy Bokan Greenawalt ’66, L.H.D. ’21; Eric M.A. Lax ’66, L.H.D. ’93 and Karen Sulzberger; Herbert J. McCooey Jr. ’76, P’04, P’09 and Lori McCooey P’04, P’09; Kevin M. Stein ’88 and Kristen A. Stein; George Stephanopoulos; and Richard L. Wasserman ’70 and Tina D. Wasserman.
Seneca Society members were recognized in September at the biannual dinner recognizing all members. The dinner was held in New York City at the Carton House, an event space owned and operated by celebrated caterer Peter Callahan ’81.
Strong advocates for HWS, this year’s inductees have supported a wide range of liberal arts and sciences programs, scholarships, student life initiatives and facilities. In honor of this support their names will be inscribed on the Seneca Society Donors Wall, which pays tribute to members.
“The support of the Seneca Society members sustains and expands the powerful experiences and life-changing opportunities that engage our students every day,” says Vice President and Senior Philanthropic Advisor Bob O’Connor P’22, P’23. “As we move ahead with the Further Together Campaign, we remain ever grateful for their generosity and confidence in our mission.”
The Seneca Society was established in 2006 to honor the extraordinary philanthropy of donors past and present. The Seneca Society Donors Wall, located in the courtyard on the southwest side of the Scandling Campus Center, is engraved with the names of members in a lasting tribute to their impact on campus — from facilities and the endowment, to scholarships and research.
About this year’s Seneca Society inductees
Cassandra Naylor Brooks ’89, who serves as Vice Chair of the HWS Board of Trustees, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and sociology. During her career in education, she served as a teacher and administrator with the Calvert School in Baltimore. She earned a master’s degree in education from John Hopkins University and joined the Odyssey School staff, also in Baltimore, serving as Director of Admissions and later Outreach Coordinator. Deeply engaged in the Baltimore community, she is currently a trustee for the Brown Memorial Tutoring Program in Baltimore City and the Garrison Forest School. Together with her husband, she received the Maryland Chapter of Fundraising Professionals Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year Award. A member of the Board of Trustees since 2016, she has served HWS a volunteer with Admissions, reunion committees and the William Smith Alumnae Council, as well as through her philanthropy supporting scholarships, athletics and the Annual Fund.
The Fred L. Emerson Foundation is a private, family foundation located in Auburn, N.Y. Since 1932, the Foundation has provided support to core community organizations of Auburn and the surrounding Central New York area where its founder, Fred L. Emerson, lived and worked. The Foundation continues the work of Fred, who invested in individuals and the community with such humility that very few people knew how many lives were impacted by his generosity. Under the leadership of the Emerson family, along with independent directors, the Foundation continues Fred’s legacy as especially vigilant investors in select organizations where it believes it can make a critical and significant difference. The Emerson Foundation has funded numerous important initiatives at HWS including scholarships, internships, research, innovative building projects, the Adams Intercultural Center and the creation of The Finger Lakes Institute, among other projects.
Peggy Bokan Greenawalt ’66, L.H.D. ’21 graduated with a degree in economics. She later earned a master’s in business administration with a focus on finance and marketing from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. Her career in the finance industry included leadership positions at Citibank, Citicorp and Monchik-Weber. Devoted to supporting education, the arts and the advancement of women in leadership roles, she has served on the board of directors for not-for-profit organizations including The White House Project, the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, the Chestnut Hill Historical Society and the Philadelphia International Theater Festival for Children. In 2015, she established the Margaret Greenawalt ’66 Annual Scholarship, which eliminates the student loan debt of a William Smith graduate. She created the scholarship so recipients can begin their careers free from the worry of educational debt. To show their appreciation for her generosity, the 13 alumnae who have benefited from the gift created an Annual Fund Scholarship in her honor. The first student was selected for the 2023-24 academic year.
Eric Lax ’66, L.H.D. ’93 graduated with a B.A. in English. After graduation, he joined the Peace Corps, serving in Truk (now Chuuk) in the Caroline Islands of Micronesia teaching English as a second language and doing community development work. After his return, he worked a Peace Corps Fellow, then as Overseas Director of the Peace Corps School Partnership Program, which allowed him to travel to more than 40 countries. The best-selling author of 11 books on subjects as diverse as the discovery and development of penicillin, his own faith and the life and work of Woody Allen, Lax is heavily involved in PEN International, the global writers association based in London. He was a board member and is past president of PEN Center USA, a member of the PEN International board from 2001-16, and chair of the trustees of the PEN Foundation. In 2017, he was made an international vice president of PEN and currently serves as the organization’s treasurer and as a member of its board and Executive Committee.
Herbert J. McCooey Jr. ’76 graduated with a B.A. in economics. After graduation, he began his accomplished career in finance as a member of the New York Stock Exchange, working with firms such as Wagner Stott Mercator, L.L.C., Webco and Bear Wagner Specialists. Most recently, he served as Managing Director of the Titlemore Agency. In support of HWS, he has served as a Trustee since 2006, served as co-chair of the Parents Executive Board and served as chair of the Annual Fund. He has hosted students and faculty for the annual Wall Street Experience in New York City through the Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Education. In recognition of his continued leadership and support, the Hobart Alumni Association honored McCooey with an Alumni Citation in 2011. Beyond HWS, he serves as an executive committee member and former co-chair of Tuesday’s Children, which supports those directly affected by the events on 9/11. He also serves as a board member of St. Francis Hospital Foundation, which he previously led as chair.
Kevin M. Stein ’88 graduated with a B.S. in chemistry with high Honors as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to earn a master’s in organic chemistry and a Ph.D. in inorganic/polymer chemistry from Stanford University. Today, he serves as President, CEO and Director of TransDigm Group Inc., a leading global producer, designer and supplier of highly engineered aerospace components, systems and subsystems to commercial aerospace and military programs around the world. Committed to advancing education, he serves as a trustee for Gilmour Academy in Ohio and Pitzer College in California. He and his family are supporters of a “Women in STEM” initiative to provide scholarships that encourage more women to enter careers in the sciences. Their support of Pitzer’s Mental Health and Wellness initiative assists students in navigating through their educational years to a productive and healthy life. Kevin and his family also partner with the Cleveland Clinic to provide ongoing transportation services for medical care to homeless and at-risk individuals.
George Stephanopoulos is a political commentator and anchor of ABC’s morning news program Good Morning America, Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News, and the host of ABC’s Sunday news program, This Week with George Stephanopoulos. He has conducted interviews with a wide range of global political leaders, led ABC’s coverage of four presidential elections and moderated live townhall events with presidential candidates. Recognizing the range of his expertise and in acknowledgement of his professionalism, he has received three Emmys, a DuPont, three Murrows and two Cronkite Awards. Prior to joining ABC News, Stephanopoulos served in the Clinton administration as the senior advisor to the president for policy and strategy. He is the author of All Too Human, a New York Times bestseller. A graduate of Columbia University, he attended the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, earning his master’s in theology. Beginning in 2019, he donated more than 2,000 photographs to the Collections of Hobart and William Smith, capturing important historical and artistic moments of the 20th century.
Richard L. Wasserman ’70 graduated with a B.S. with Honors in chemistry as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He enrolled in medical school through a joint doctoral program, earning a Ph.D. in biomedical science from City University of New York in 1975 and an M.D. from Southwestern Medical School in 1977. A noted immunologist and allergist, he currently serves as Medical Director of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Medical City Children’s Hospital and Managing Partner of Allergy Partners of North Texas. A past president of the Hobart Alumni Association, he has been a member of the HWS Board of Trustees since 2006. He is active in his professional and spiritual communities through his service to and membership in many pediatric, immunological and Jewish organizations.
Top: The Seneca Society Donors Wall on the Scandling Campus Center Patio as shown on a sunny day.
