Advancement

The Kadel Society—Where the past, present and future converge

December 15, 2022

Our Eckerd community sends you Holiday greetings! Campus is busy as the 2022 Fall Semester winds down and students take their final exams. Despite the busy time of year, we hope you are easing calmly into the holidays and time with your family. This issue of the Kadel Society Enduring Connections newsletter will provide you with planned-gift ideas, interesting donor stories and other important information about the College.
———————
Year-End Giving through Your IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution
Year-end giving with an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution is one of a multitude of ways to give to Eckerd. The qualified charitable distribution (QCD) rule allows traditional individual retirement account (IRA) owners to deduct their required minimum distributions on their tax returns if they give the money to a charity.

How it Works
• You are age 70 ½ or older and instruct your plan administrator to make a direct transfer of up to $100,000 to Eckerd College.
• Plan administrator makes transfer as directed to Eckerd College.
Benefits
• Your gift is transferred directly to Eckerd College; since you did not receive the funds, they are not included in your gross income*
• Entitles you to tax benefits without requiring you to itemize your deductions
• Your gift will count toward your minimum distribution requirement, which, under the 2019 SECURE Act, begins at the age of 72
• You support the scholarships and programs that are important to you at Eckerd College
*No income tax deduction allowed for transfer

Kadel Society Spotlight: Sam Moulthrop ’73 and Joyce Samson Moulthrop ’73
It was 1969. Two Americans became the first humans to walk on the moon, more than 400,000 people showed up at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York, for the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, and in St. Petersburg, Florida, students at Florida Presbyterian College (now Eckerd College), a small, 11-year-old liberal arts college, were settling into the school’s permanent location on 54th Ave. S.

That fall, Sam Moulthrop arrived at FPC from Atlanta, and Joyce Samson drove down with her parents from Montclair, New Jersey. They were both first-year students. A few months later, they would meet at a party on campus. A mound party.

“Back in the day, the campus was not like it is now,” Joyce says. “There was a lot of fill sand and dirt from the construction. We had mound parties at the entrance to campus on 34th St. S.”

“It was probably the highest point in St. Pete,” Sam adds with a chuckle.

And like the college that was rising up around them, they would blossom and thrive. Sam and Joyce married in 1975, enjoyed decades-long careers in accounting and the law, and raised three children who are now on their own unique adventures.

Along with being Kadel Society members, Sam and Joyce’s commitment to helping others is exemplified by their travels to Peru in 2009 and again in 2011 to help rebuild churches after a devastating earthquake. “These were such meaningful trips—particularly to work as a family to help others,” Joyce says. “Our daughter ran a music program in one of the churches, and both of our sons helped with construction.”

Through the Years: 54th Avenue South Entrance
The Eckerd campus has developed greatly since its origin on May 20, 1958. This growth is particularly true in reference to the main entrance of the College. As the first point of contact for visitors, the current entrance on 54th Avenue South is impressive, toting sleek signs and beautiful landscaping. However, apart from alumni from the Class of 1968 and earlier, many are unaware of the humble, simple beginnings of the 34th Street South entrance.

In anticipation of the long-awaited I-275 extension and interchange with U.S. 19 and 54th Avenue South, Eckerd College officials sold 14 acres off the northeast corner of the campus to the Florida Department of Transportation for $1.65 million.

This act precipitated the move of the main entrance of the College from 34th Street South to the current location on 54th Avenue South. The groundbreaking for the 54th Avenue entrance occurred in the Fall of 1982.

The main campus road, beginning at the current 54th Avenue entrance and winding around to connect to the previous 34th Street South entrance, is officially named the “Edward H. White Avenue of States.” While most refer to this connecting road as the “Avenue of States,” Cathy McCoy ’71, Eckerd College’s volunteer archivist, shared the significance of the full name:

Edward H. White Jr. became the first American to walk in space on June 3, 1965, and was selected as a member of the second group of astronauts to take part in the Gemini and Apollo missions. He was the pilot of Gemini 4 alongside command pilot James McDivitt. Later, he served as the senior pilot of the first crewed Apollo mission, Apollo 1.

Florida Presbyterian officials intended to dedicate the road in his honor on the first anniversary of the spacewalk with Astronaut White attending. Unfortunately, prior to the dedication ceremony, White died on January 27, 1967, in a fire during pre-launch testing of Apollo 1 at Cape Canaveral.

In memory of Astronaut White, Florida Presbyterian officials dedicated the road on May 14, 1967, with James McDivitt, fellow astronaut and good friend of White, attending the ceremony in his honor. White’s widow, children, siblings and parents were also at the ceremony.

As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the new entrance and reflect on the growth and development of Florida Presbyterian/Eckerd College, we can see how, despite the myriad of changes, the initial culture and nature of the College remains central. Although cosmetic changes such as signage, a new roundabout, polished landscaping, and a traffic light adorn the current 54th Avenue South entrance, the humble beginnings of FPC/Eckerd will always be remembered fondly and remind us of the imaginative and groundbreaking foundations of the College that has shaped us all.

The Holiday Season: A Time to Gather and Give Thanks
More than 300 people gathered in Fox Hall for the annual tradition of a campus meal on Thanksgiving Day. Started by Jim Annarelli, then Dean of Students, and his wife Anna 21 years ago, the event was created to provide holiday cheer to the students who do not travel home for Thanksgiving. Since then generations of Eckerd students, ASPEC members, faculty/staff and their families have gathered annually in Fox Hall to enjoy a meal and fellowship.

The Kadel Society
The Kadel Society was named for the College’s founding president, Dr. William H. Kadel, in honor of the vision and founding principles he helped establish at FPC/Eckerd College. This recognition society honors the outstanding group of alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends who have made a provision for Eckerd in their estate plans.

If you haven’t already, we hope you will consider supporting the unique learning community at Eckerd to perpetuate its legacy of educating creative thinkers, leaders and citizens of the world. If you have made provisions to include Eckerd College in your estate plans or want to document your bequest intentions with the College, contact Tom Schneider at 727.804.2108 or schneite@eckerd.edu.

Kadel Society Members