February 19, 2024
Dear Campus Community,
Today, I am honored to announce that Trustee Emerita Joan Fischer Schweizer ’76 and Rick Schweizer ’76 have made a historic commitment of $5.5 million to Gettysburg College.
Inspired by the vision and early outcomes of our new Strategic Direction, the Schweizers’ commitment will support several key priorities for the College, including the Gettysburg Fund, global study, scholarships, and student-faculty research. Their commitment to our comprehensive campaign, which is currently in the leadership phase, exceeds any commitment made by a living donor to the Gettysburg Great Campaign (2011 - 2018)—and it is among the largest commitments in Gettysburg College’s 191-year history.
The Schweizers have loyally contributed to the Gettysburg Fund for many years, supporting our student experience and campus operations in fundamental ways. I am pleased to share that through their commitment, the Schweizers have established the first endowment to continue their support of the Gettysburg Fund in perpetuity.
Scholarship support and experiential learning are likewise among the couple’s top philanthropic priorities. The Joan Fischer Schweizer ’76 and Eric B. Schweizer ’76 Endowed Scholarship Fund will be awarded to students focusing on economics or management who demonstrate financial need, while a newly endowed fund for study abroad in their name will expand access for students to develop and deepen their intercultural fluency through global study.
Lastly, the commitment also enhances The Leslie R. Schweizer ’45 and Thomas C. Schweizer ’73 Summer Research Grant in Physics Fund, which was established in 2006 in memory of Rick’s father and brother. The fund provides support to Gettysburg students and faculty partnering together on projects and topical issues as part of our Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute at Gettysburg College (X-SIG) during the summer.
I’d invite you to take a moment to read the homepage story on the Schweizers’ Gettysburg experience, the impact of their philanthropy, and their generous $5.5 million commitment to the College.
On behalf of our entire community, I want to express our deepest thanks to Joan and Rick for their inspiring leadership, dedication to our mission, and fervent belief in today’s Gettysburg students. Please join me in thanking them!
Sincerely,
Bob Iuliano
President