Dinner and Dancing

Alumnae and friends of Barnard College gathered at New York’s historic Plaza Hotel for the Annual Gala 2012, which included an auction to benefit financial aid. The event raised over $2.4 million for scholarships.

Honored at the dinner were this year’s recipients of the Frederick A.P. Barnard Award—Patricia Harrigan Nadosy ’68, botanist, former foreign-exchange options trader, and trustee emerita; and Elizabeth S. Boylan, a former professor of biology, provost, and dean of the faculty emerita. Nadosy accepted her award from Azita Raji ’83, her co-chair on the Athena Center’s Leadership Council. Former Barnard trustee Gedale Horowitz, husband of the late Barbara Silver Horowitz ’55, a dedicated teacher and longtime benefactor of Barnard, and father of Ruth Horowitz ’83, presented the award to Professor Boylan with whom he worked closely at the College.

Barnard’s first annual Gala Nights for young professionals followed the dinner. A committee led by chair Carolyn Bliss Spencer ’09 organized an event that included dancing, dessert, and cocktails, with all proceeds going to financial aid. As President Debora Spar emphasized during her welcome to the evening’s guests, “Scholarships are key to the future of Barnard and the lives of our students—students who will always be grateful for the financial aid they received, and who, I’m sure, will ultimately offer their own support to future generations of deserving Barnard women.”

More than $30 million of scholarship aid was offered to Barnard students in the 2011–12 school year. The proceeds from the Annual Gala directly underwrite this expense, and help Barnard maintain one of its hallmarks—educating exceptional women regardless of their financial means.