2006: Fall/Winter Profiles in Philanthropy

Having grown up in a small town in Iowa, Tom Keith ’60 wanted to go to a liberal arts college on the East Coast. Amherst was well-known in Tom’s family, as his father and uncle were both Amherst grads. Still, the decision to attend Amherst was his alone.

He remembers realizing intensely in his first year how brilliant so many of his classmates were. This was a powerful, eye-opening—and very humbling—experience. As it turns out, Tom was pretty bright in his own right, and his experience at Amherst inspired a lifelong commitment to excellence. After graduating, he went on to earn his M.D. from Cornell and embark on a long and successful career as a cardiologist and medical school educator in Utah. He retired from practice in 2000 and moved to Florida in 2002.

Tom’s commitment to Amherst has been a model of consistency as well. He and his wife, Berthe, have attended most class reunions since his 20th in 1980. And he has maintained an uninterrupted streak of giving to the Annual Fund every year since 1976.

Tom says his main reason for giving to Amherst is “to ensure Amherst’s ability to continue to attract and educate the brightest, most diverse and highest caliber students from all socio-economic and cul tural/geographic backgrounds. I believe this will continue Amherst’s legacy to our nation and the world while keeping the Fairest College at the forefront of educational institutions.”

To learn more about how you might support Amherst, contact: Timothy A. Neale ’70, Director of Gift Planning, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002-5000; (413) 542-8256; taneale@amherst.edu; Gift Planning Website

Photo: Frank Ward