Kathryn Wasserman Davis: Wellesley College Alum, Benefactor

A member of the Wellesley College community, for whom one of its buildings, passed away earlier in the week. 

On Tuesday, she passed away in her Hobe Sound, Fla. home with her family. She was 106 years old, and believed to be the oldest Wellesley College alumna. She also served on the College's board of Trustees from 1984 to 2002, according to a Wellesley College obituary. 

The Wall Street Journal reports that she has early memories of advocating for women's suffrage, and had a keen desire to travel. She made more than 30 trips to Russia, specifically the Caucasus region, and joined a group of anthropologists traveling the region on horseback in 1929. 

She was the college's biggest donor, giving the college over $50 million in her life time. The Davis Museum on campus is also named for her and her late husband, who passed in 1994.

When she turned 100, she established 100 Projects for Peace, committing $1 million to peace-related projects.

Wellesley College president Kim Bottomly wrote about meeting Davis and shared some thoughts on her blog. She spoke of meeting Davis for the first time: 

When I first met Kathryn, I was struck by her charm and graciousness. The second time I saw Kathryn, I understood how impressive she truly was. In 2008, at the dinner celebrating my inauguration as president of Wellesley, Kathryn gave a speech and delighted the audience with her kind and welcoming words. But it turned out that she wasn’t a scheduled speaker. Surprising me and all those who had organized the event, she got up to the podium and spoke extemporaneously and quite eloquently.

See the full obituary on Wellesley College's website.