Sisters Anne Kuhlmann Taylor ’66 and Celia J. Kuhlmann ’75 have made transformative commitments to Gettysburg College—establishing major scholarship support, strengthening key academic programs, and earning recognition in the College’s Benefactors Circle—all inspired by the lasting impact Gettysburg had on their lives and careers.
For sisters Anne Kuhlmann Taylor ’66 and Celia J. Kuhlmann ’75, Gettysburg College has always been more than a place—they have long viewed it as the foundation of their lives, their careers, and their confidence as young women entering fields where they were pioneers. Recently, their enduring belief in the power of a Gettysburg education led to significant new commitments that will support generations of students and earned them a shared place on the College’s Benefactors Wall.
“Celia Kuhlmann’s remarkable generosity—and Anne Kuhlmann Taylor’s heartfelt decision to further advance her sister’s legacy—exemplifies the enduring spirit of our College community,” said President Bob Iuliano. “Their commitment will open doors for generations of Gettysburg students, empowering them to pursue bold ideas and lead consequential lives. We are deeply grateful for their philanthropy and inspired by the devotion these sisters have shown to their alma mater.”
Anne and Celia grew up nine years apart, but their paths converged in Gettysburg, shaped by the College’s close-knit campus and the mentorship they found in the classroom. When Anne arrived on campus during the early 1960s as one of only a handful of women majoring in chemistry, she found faculty who not only challenged her intellectually, but also championed her ambitions. Instructors like Alex Rowland ’53 and Glenn Weiland ’53 encouraged her to pursue graduate study—a path she once considered out of reach—and sparked a distinguished career in the pharmaceutical industry.
“Gettysburg was such a good experience for me,” Anne reflected. “I developed close relationships with professors, gained confidence, and learned I could succeed in science.”
After earning her Ph.D. from Cornell, Anne spent more than a decade in pharmaceutical research before building a second career as a scientific consultant and writer. Through it all, she never forgot the College that opened the door for her career.
“Gettysburg was such a good experience for me. I developed close relationships with professors, gained confidence, and learned I could succeed in science.”
– Anne Kuhlmann Taylor ’66
Celia followed in her sister’s footsteps to Gettysburg nearly a decade later—drawn, Anne said, because Gettysburg “became her concept of what college should be. She visited me on Parents’ Days. I think that helped her fall in love with the place.”
A gifted economics major, Celia went on to earn an MBA from George Washington University and built a highly successful 27-year career in tax accounting at AIG in New York City. Quiet, steady, and deeply principled, Celia supported Gettysburg not through fanfare or attention, but out of gratitude. She consistently gave for decades, always responding politely to staff outreach, but insisting she needed no recognition. She simply believed in giving back.
In 2023, shortly before her passing, Celia made provisions in her will for a $1.5 million estate gift to Gettysburg—designating $1.25 million to establish the Celia J. Kuhlmann ’75 Endowed Scholarship Fund and $250,000 to the Gettysburg Fund. The endowed scholarship supports business, organizations, and management students who demonstrate financial need, reflecting Celia’s academic passions and her desire to expand access for future generations.
When Anne later discovered that Celia had left her a substantial 401(k), Anne made a decision she believes her sister would have loved: She disclaimed the inheritance, gifting the entire amount—more than $827,000—directly to Gettysburg. In doing so, she not only honored Celia’s legacy, but acted on her own longstanding commitment to the College, one she has demonstrated through nearly four decades of loyal annual giving.
Anne’s generosity didn’t end there. To ensure that her name could be placed alongside her sister’s on the College’s Benefactors Wall—a distinction that requires cumulative giving totaling at least $1 million—she made an additional $120,000 commitment in 2024, supporting both the Gettysburg Fund and the Chemistry Department that gave her the foundation to pursue her career path.
“It’s important to give back because it was such a good experience for me,” Anne noted. “I started donating right after graduation. I didn’t expect to give that much to Gettysburg, but the opportunity came—and we took it.”
With these combined commitments, Celia and Anne are now celebrated members of Gettysburg’s Benefactors Circle, their names etched permanently in the College’s history. In 2026, Anne and her husband, Jerry, plan to return to campus for her 60th reunion and to celebrate the sisters’ recognition.
Their story—rooted in gratitude, shaped by a deep belief in education, and guided by a shared desire to lift others—reflects the very best of Gettysburg College. And through their generosity, Anne and Celia will open doors for countless students who will follow the same path they once walked, brick by brick, across the campus they loved.
Continue the legacy of impact—support scholarships and student success at Gettysburg today.
By Corey Jewart
Photos courtesy of Anne Kuhlmann Taylor ‘66, Special Collections, and Corey Jewart
Posted: 12/12/25