Colgate University celebrated the creation of its first endowed administrative position on Friday, Oct. 4. The Jones and Wood Family Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid was made possible by the generosity of Rob ’72 and Debra Jones, and the inaugural holder of the position is Gary Ross ’77, Colgate’s longtime vice president for admission and financial aid.
Speaking to members of the Board of Trustees, the Jones family, and friends at the installation ceremony in the Hurwitz Admission Center, President Brian W. Casey honored Jones for his many contributions to the University over the years, calling him “a tireless volunteer for Colgate.”
In his own remarks, Jones recalled his family’s long history with Colgate, naming his grandfathers, Robert A. Jones ’22 and Fred Wood ’22, as the first of many relatives to attend the University.
He also spoke about his motivations for establishing the endowment. “The three things that brought this together are my loyalty for the school, my respect for Gary Ross, and [my intent to support] Third-Century Plan initiatives,” Jones said.
The Third-Century Plan sets out a long-term roadmap for the University’s future success, including expanded recruitment of the world’s brightest students. The Jones and Wood Family Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid endowment helps to ensure that Colgate’s admission office has the resources necessary to connect with scholars of promise and achievement, who will make a positive impact on the Colgate student body and benefit from the school’s rigorous academic environment.
Jones served on Colgate’s Board of Trustees from 1994 to 2003, chairing the admissions and student aid committee, and currently serves as co-leader of the board’s emeriti council. He was a member of the Alumni Council, the President’s Club membership committee, and the Passion for the Climb campaign executive committee. Senior advisor at Morgan Stanley, Jones created a recruiting pipeline between Colgate and the firm, where he has worked for 45 years. His dedication to Colgate has been recognized with a Maroon Citation and the Wm. Brian Little ’64 Alumni Award for Distinguished Service.
Accepting the position, Ross thanked Jones and the entire family, saying, “It’s an enormous honor to be the first person to hold the Jones and Wood Family Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid position at Colgate. When you were on the Admissions committee, I was — and am to this day — in awe of how much time you gave out of your crazy schedule to support Colgate, Colgate admissions, and me at all hours and at every possible opportunity. I thank you for your phenomenal generosity.”