Since the founding of the school in 1836, a number of alumni, trustees, families, and friends of the school have included Gould in their estate plans. Here are some notable gifts that have left a lasting mark on the school:
The first legacy gift to the “Bethel Academy” was made in 1842 by the Rev. Daniel Gould, who chose to leave his estate in such a way to further education and to perpetuate his own name.
Melville C. Day only attended Gould Academy for half a year and eventually graduated from Phillips Academy, but he chose to leave a generous gift to Gould when he died in 1913. “I have always felt deeply grateful to the school,” he wrote, “for a little of the right kind of help given me at a critical period of my life.”
When Liberty Holden (Class of 1853) passed away in 1915, he bequeathed his estate with the intention that the proceeds be endowed for the upkeep of Holden Hall. He also gave his extensive collection of books to the Gould Academy library.
Gould alumna and teacher Muriel Park Mason (Class of 1917) donated her estate in 1994, resulting in the largest gift ever bestowed on the academy. Her $5.4 million gift included cash, her home and property, and 36 acres of forest land.
In 2007, Rosemary Kelley (Class of 1951) left a substantial gift to endow a scholarship in her name.
One of the school’s most significant benefactors was William Bingham II, who helped establish the school’s endowment in 1912 and whose charitable trusts continued to support the school for many years after his death in 1955. Much of today’s campus is a result of his generosity and commitment to the school.
Many other generous donors have made meaningful gifts by including Gould Academy in their estate plans. Their gifts have varied in size and nature, but their impact will be felt across the campus for generations to come.
