Building a Legacy for the Future with TC’s Grace Dodge Society

TC’s most ardent supporters gathered on June 3 for the annual Grace Dodge Society Luncheon to mark another year of impact and reaffirm their commitment to the College. Motivated by the College’s meaningful impact and a desire to give back, members of the Society support TC through their wills, trusts or other planned gifts.

“Our students depend on your support, which allow them to focus on what they came to TC to do and to become: world-class scholars, educators, healers and leaders,” President Thomas Bailey said in his welcome address. “Together, we will strengthen the historic legacy of Teachers College as we build its vital future.”

At the Ascent Lounge above Manhattan’s Columbus Circle, Grace Dodge Society members and members of the TC community reflect on their giving:

If it wasn't for TC and the professors who supported me, I would never have known that I had a gift for teaching. They taught me that I had a talent…And I have been teaching for [more than] 55 years…So it is a pleasure to do this, and for that I will remember TC and the faculty as long as I'm alive.

Lila Swell (Ed.D. ’64)

I wanted [to do] something connected to humanity. And I wandered into Teachers College. That was about 80 years ago. What Teachers College did for me is great, and what they do for everybody else who goes there is great, so I want to make my contribution.

Robert Schaffer (Ed.D. ’52)

This Society is also very personal for me — it is named in honor of my great aunt, Grace Dodge, who was not only a treasured family member but also a tremendous model of leadership and service. Her bequest established a scholarship at TC, which has supported generations of students in realizing their dreams.

William “Bill” Dodge Rueckert, Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees

Trustee Emerita Nancy K. Simpkins and Mary Edlow (M.A. ’67). (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)

Student scholars at the 2025 Grace Dodge Luncheon. (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)

Friends and supporters gathered at the Ascent Lounge for the annual Grace Dodge Luncheon. (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)

Current and former members of the Alumni Council at the Grace Dodge Luncheon. (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)

Meet Student Speaker Victoria Dumas

Dumas, a doctoral candidate in the English Education program and recipient of the Evalyn Edwards Milman Literacy Fellowship, reflected on her experiences at the 2025 Grace Dodge Society Luncheon, sharing: “Seeing the human behind the scholar, and understanding that the human is the scholar, is an essential pedagogical act. Grace Dodge understood that. She believed in the transformative power of education to uplift the whole person....With the support of the Milman Fellowship, I walk into Teachers College Community School knowing I’m not just helping students learn to read—I’m helping them claim their identities as thinkers, storytellers, and dreamers....If you are in this room today, it’s because you see the human. And in some way, shape, or form—whether as a donor, a volunteer, or an educator—you have dedicated yourself to the culture of giving. You recognize that the contributions you make reverberate through the lives of students and set off a cascade of positive change.”