CLASS OF 1969

MIT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

77 Massachusetts Avenue, 10-140 • Cambridge MA 02139-4307 • 617.253.8491 • web.mit.edu/alum/

Robert K. Wiener
Class President

Kathryn James
Class Vice President

Eugene F. Mallove
Class Secretary

Richard B. Hodgman, Jr.
Class Webmaster

Jarl W. McDonald
Class Treasurer

Paul E. Beckerman
Class Agent

December 2000

Dear Classmate:

Many of you are already aware of the death of our friend and classmate, Bob Swanson last December, after a fourteen month battle with brain cancer. Bob's profile, along with tributes and condolences from many in the MIT community, and indeed around the world, has been posted on the MIT Sloan School Web site since December. Those who haven't yet seen it can access this at http://mitsloan.mit.edu/business/index.html. Select the "Entrepreneurship Center" bar on the right, then "In Memoriam" on the page following.

I am writing today to call your attention to several initiatives that have been undertaken to commemorate Bob and to perpetuate his spirit and inspirational life example. Please consider making a contribution to one or more of the following funds. You can also make a gift to any other program at MIT and earmark it as in memory of Bob Swanson '69.

• The Class of 1969 Paul E. Gray Scholarship Fund, our class project, established at our 25th reunion. Bob served as co-chair of the 25th reunion gift campaign and was instrumental in creating this fund.

• The Robert A. Swanson (1969) Memorial Lectureship, organized and administered by the Sloan School Entrepreneurship Center, will commemorate Bob's dedication to entrepreneurship by bringing to the campus a variety of distinguished business pioneers and leaders.

• The Robert A. Swanson (1969) Memorial Scholarship Fund, which gives first preference to brothers of Bob's fraternity Sigma Chi, was created this past spring to help deserving undergraduates to finance their MIT education. In keeping with Bob's belief that we should all be free to pursue our own dreams and life goals, there are no additional criteria relative to field of study or career objective. Gifts to this fund expand the overall scholarship resources available to MIT for financial aid and therefore increase the aid available for all undergraduates.

Bob's historic achievements in pioneering the biotech industry and fostering an unprecedented wave of science-based entrepreneurship are well known. He also served MIT for a number of years as a trustee of the MIT Corporation and a member of the Visiting Committees for the Department of Biology and the Sloan School of Management. In addition, Bob served as an officer of the MIT Club of Northern California for several years. His generous gifts to the Sloan School supported innovative programs in entrepreneurship which helped put MIT at the forefront of this critical area.

On a more personal level, many of us remember Bob as a thoroughly engaging and enthusiastic classmate who, despite his dedication to scholarship and individual development, had plenty of energy left over for intramural athletics and other aspects of MIT life. Those of us fortunate enough to have stayed in touch with Bob after graduation and after he achieved his great success realize that he never lost touch with his MIT roots.

It's safe to say that in a class which produced more than its share of entrepreneurs and industry pioneers, Bob's accomplishments and contributions to the MIT community certainly stand out as unique. Please join other members of the class in commemorating Bob's life and help MIT by pledging a donation on the enclosed card. But whether you choose to contribute at this time or not, please take a moment to reflect on and cherish Bob's memory.

Sincerely,

Robert K. Wiener
President, Class of 1969