October 17, 2024
Dear members of the Connecticut College community,
I write with great sadness to inform you that Claire L. Gaudiani, who served as Conn’s president from 1988 to 2001, died yesterday. She passed away peacefully with her daughter Maria and husband David Burnett at her side.
President Gaudiani, a scholar of the history and economics of philanthropy, was one of the country’s leading experts in philanthropy and fundraising. She received her bachelor’s degree in French literature from Conn in 1966 and her master’s degree and Ph.D. from Indiana University. The first alumna president of Conn, she was a highly regarded teacher and scholar throughout her life, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Among her many accomplishments were distinguished teaching awards from Indiana University, Purdue University and New York University. She was the author of scholarly books on 17th century French literature, on foreign language pedagogy and on the management of foreign language departments at the university level. She held fellowships from the National Humanities Center and the American Council of Learned Societies. She was a visiting scholar at Yale Law School and served as a director of many corporate and social enterprises, the National Council for Economic Education, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Henry Luce Foundation. She was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and received 10 honorary doctorates. She was the author of many articles, monographs and books, including in 2003 the book The Greater Good: How Philanthropy Drives the American Economy and Can Save Capitalism. She was a frequent speaker on topics related to education, philanthropy, ethics and the role of colleges in civil society.
During President Gaudiani’s tenure at Conn, the College quintupled its endowment, strengthened its national reputation and its applications for admission rose significantly. She helped secure endowments for 26 endowed professorships and three endowed directorships. Also, Conn established four innovative interdisciplinary academic centers and completed $60 million in new construction and renovations, including the Olin Science building.
I wish to express the College’s deepest condolences to President Gaudiani’s family. A memorial service is being planned and we will provide details when they are available. I know many of our faculty and staff worked closely with her and will remember her vision, commitment and passion for the College. She will always be a Camel.
Sincerely,
Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D.
President