NMH to Build New Admission Building

New Admission Building for NMH:
Alumnus Contributes Major Gift

Mount Hermon, MA—On October 13, the Northfield Mount Hermon Board of Trustees voted to approve the construction of a new admission building to be located in the heart of its campus. The construction of the facility is made possible through a $2.5 million gift from David F. Bolger, class of 1950, whose support for NMH over the years distinguishes him as the largest individual donor in the school’s history.

In recognition of Bolger’s generosity and to honor his parents, who made sacrifices so that he and his siblings could attend NMH, the new building will bear the Bolger family’s name. In May 2006, Bolger gave NMH securities valued at $10 million to be used to endow scholarships, establish a faculty chair, and support an endowment for the school’s chapel. It is the largest gift NMH has received in its 128-year history.

Bolger is the founder and president of Ridgewood, New Jersey-based Bolger & Co., Inc., an investment banking firm; and the former chairman and sole stockholder of the Farmers & Merchants State Bank in Boise, Idaho (which later merged into Cascade Bancorp headquartered in Bend, Idaho). In addition to his gifts to NMH, Bolger has supported many other charitable causes such as disadvantaged youth, senior citizens, and mental health programs; YMCAs; hospitals; and a variety of conservation activities and educational opportunity programs. About his gift to NMH, Bolger said, “My motive in giving is to enhance the quality of life at NMH; to lift the spirits of the students, faculty, and staff; and to show my support for a place that means so much to me and my family.”

At the school’s annual donor recognition dinner, Head of School Thomas K. Sturtevant made the announcement with five of the Bolger family members in attendance. Speaking on behalf of the NMH Board of Trustees, Sturtevant thanked Bolger and his siblings William J. Bolger ’44, Betty A. Bolger Fleming ’46, Daniel C. Bolger, and Barbara D. Bolger Collett ’50.

“Mr. Bolger’s gift is just the latest example of strong, ongoing support from alumni and friends for the work we are doing to sustain and strengthen NMH for current and future students,” Sturtevant said. “We remain committed to the school’s founding principles, values, and mission, and the momentum of recent accomplishments is propelling us toward the bright future that we envision and that Mr. Bolger and other supporters are making possible for NMH.”

Contact: Kate Snyder, 413-498-3357 or ksnyder@nmhschool.org.

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