New York 2006

William and Mary GALA Hosts New York Event

William and Mary GALA hosted a cocktail benefit for the Richard Cornish Fund at the Arts Club of New York, raising $7,500 for the Fund. The cocktail reception was held at the elegant National Arts Club on New York’s Gramercy Park South. The Arts Club is located in a grand Victorian brownstone designed by Calvert Vaux, one of the designers of Central Park. The building is a National Historic Landmark (1976) and is the former residence of New York’s Governor Samuel Tilden. To take a tour of this remarkable mansion, go to www.nationalartsclub.org.

Our reception was attended by about 21 members of the William and Mary community and their guests. The master of ceremonies for the event was GALA’s President, Wayne Curtis, who introduced the guests and the event’s local organizer, Mark Murtagh ’89. Mark in turn introduced Christopher Bram ’74 who gave a wonderful reading from his forthcoming novel, Exiles in America, about a gay couple in New York and Williamsburg. We all eagerly await its publication! Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Carl Strikwerda, was the lucky winner of the autographed pre-publication bound galley proof of the publication. Other attendees included Jeff Trammell ’73 and member of the Board of Visitors; Connie Kearns McCarthy, Dean of the University Libraries; and Sophie Lee ’90, Chair of the Friends of Swem Library. We were fortunate to have the attendance of William and Mary Provost P. Geoffrey Feiss and his wife, Nancy West.

Everyone went out for an informal dinner after cocktails at A Friend of a Farmer, just around the corner from the Arts Club. Chris Bram conducted a very informative walking tour of Greenwich Village on Saturday morning emphasizing its gay history, culture, and arts.

With the $7,500 raised at this event, $12,500 remains to be raised for GALA to meet its final $100,000 goal for the Richard Cornish Endowment Fund. If you would like to give please send your contribution to Earl Gregg Swem Library, Development Office, The College of William and Mary, P.O. Box 1693, Williamsburg, VA 23187-9915.

: Chris Bram’74 reads excerpts from his forthcoming novel, Exiles in America, which is set in New York and Williamsburg.

: Honorary Guest Dr. Carl J. Strikwerda, Dean of Faculty of Arts & Sciences, offers a few remarks with GALA President Wayne Curtis looking on. Dr. Strikwerda also won the autographed pre-publication bound galley proof of Exiles in America.

: Chris Bram ’74 giving his walking tour of Geenwich Village, emphasizing gay history, culture, and the arts. Picture shows the famous Julius’ Bar, a longstanding Greenwich Village fixture.