Alumni House Named in Honor of College's First Individual Million Dollar Donor

08/14/2008 

The SUNY Cortland Alumni Association has named its alumni house, an elegant and historic 15,000-square-foot mansion in Cortland, in honor of the College’s first-ever individual $1 million donor — Lynne Parks Hoffman, a 1968 alumna who resides in Portland, Ore.

Hoffman, who grew up in Amsterdam, N.Y., and majored in physical education at SUNY Cortland, had already been the catalyst behind $100,000 in donations from her Nu Sigma Chi sorority sister classmates at SUNY Cortland to support the alumni house and its functions.

When Hoffman donated $1 million to the College this spring, the College and the SUNY Cortland Alumni Association wanted to recognize her generosity by naming the Alumni House in her honor. The SUNY Cortland Alumni Association Board of Directors formally approved the naming in early April and the milestone in the College’s history was celebrated on campus in July.

“I am what I am today because of Cortland and Nu Sigma Chi,” said Hoffman, who returned to campus in July for the 80th reunion of Nu Sigma Chi, the oldest sorority on the campus. “It’s because of the values I learned at the College and the opportunity to get a good job after college.”

“What an extraordinary gift,” noted SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum. “This is the first time in the 140-year history of SUNY Cortland that we have received a $1 million donation from a graduate of the College. Lynne's gift will protect and enhance the use of the Alumni House for current and future generations of students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the College. We are most grateful for Lynne's friendship and commitment to help keep SUNY Cortland a vital, innovative and stimulating place to learn.”

Hoffman has played a pivotal role in the early years of the SUNY Cortland Alumni House.

“Since the beginning of our Alumni House ‘Opportunities to Give Program,’ Lynne has contributed her time, leadership and wealth,” said Doug DeRancy, executive director of the SUNY Cortland Alumni Affairs Office. “In doing so, she has been instrumental in helping us move closer to our goal of raising a substantial endowment dedicated to preserving and maintaining the Alumni House.”

“The College and the Alumni Association are very fortunate to have one of the most outstanding alumni houses in America,” added Raymond Franco, vice president for institutional advancement at the College. “Lynne's generosity will enable us to maintain its beauty while benefitting and supporting the College and our alumni in perpetuity. It is most fitting for her name to be placed on this important community and campus icon.”