Ellen V. Futter ’71, Barnard’s fifth president, was honored in three ways this fall for her extraordinary record of leadership and service to the College. First, to celebrate Futter’s lifelong dedication to Barnard, Trustee Nancy Garvey ’71 initiated a campaign for the Ellen V. Futter ’71 Leadership Fund, with a pledge of $1.5 million. The Futter Leadership Fund will be used to support the College’s highest priorities. Then, in recognition of Garvey’s generous financial commitment, the green space situated in the center of campus was officially named the Ellen V. Futter ’71 Field. (Colloquially, it will be called “Futter Field.”) Finally, Futter, currently the president of the American Museum of Natural History, was initiated into the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame, in acknowledgment of her instrumental role in creating the Columbia-Barnard Athletics Consortium in 1983. The Consortium enables Barnard students and the undergraduate divisions of Columbia University to compete together as members of University-wide athletic teams. The only such agreement in NCAA Division I athletics, it makes Barnard the only college for women with Division I college sports. Together, Futter Field and the Futter Leadership Fund will ensure that Ellen Futter’s exceptional influence on the College community will continue for generations to come. •
