Meet our Heritage Society Members


Meet our Heritage Society Members

Paul Hayes ’54

On December 10, 1949 the Saturday Evening Post published an article, “America’s Toughest School,” and that was my introduction to Webb Institute. I applied, was invited to Glen Cove for the incredibly difficult entrance exam, and—to my surprise—was accepted.

In the second semester of freshman year, the academic routine was broken when the Webb administration decided that all freshmen and sophomores would join the Naval Reserve to avoid being drafted for the Korean War. Instead of taking a boiler design job with Babcock and Wilcox upon graduation in 1954, I was commissioned in the Navy and assigned to NAVSEA’s Nuclear Propulsion Division. I stayed with NAVSEA until my retirement in 1988. After leaving NAVSEA I worked for about ten years on various engineering tasks for the commercial nuclear power industry.

As the school celebrates its 125th anniversary, and the Class of 1954 celebrates the 60th anniversary of its graduation, I have been reflecting on the changes that have taken place since my own student days. Buildings and grounds are still recognizable, but many improvements—the library and the auditorium, for example—have been made. Students no longer receive free room and board. Winter Work assignments appear to be similar to those of the fifties, but the specific projects that students work on have evolved. I suspect there are fewer steam turbine propulsion plants on ships than in the fifties. Women are now part of the student body, and current students appear to be more engaged in community service and club activities outside of academics. The Honor System still appears to be robust, and, based on the information I obtain from Webb News and from attending Homecomings and Class Agent meetings, Webb seems to be on track for another 60 or 125 years.

For alumni, the call for financial support is loud and clear. Our class first heard the call in the senior classroom. Naval Architecture Professor Tom Curran ’25 solemnly had each class member sign 20 promissory notes for $25 each. The effort to receive $500 from each graduate was known as the Webb Appreciation Fund. Upon recognition that alumni could be much more supportive, the Webb Appreciation Fund was replaced by the Webb Alumni Fund. Under the leadership of our class agent, Tom Manuel ’54 regularly achieved 100% participation in annual giving to the Webb Alumni Fund. The pattern of giving at the 100% level has continued for the several years I have been Class Agent.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the graduation of the Class of 1954, classmates are striving to achieve 100% membership in the Webb Heritage Society. Providing a legacy gift is an appropriate finale to the pattern of annual giving that has been established by class members.

Legacy gifts through the Webb Heritage Society can be set up in a variety of ways to suit the particular circumstances of the donor. One example is that a legacy gift may go first to a surviving spouse and then to Webb when the spouse dies. The flexibility of legacy giving through the Webb Heritage Society makes this an appropriate gift option for all alumni. The Class of 1954 is hoping to achieve 100% participation in the Webb Heritage Society, and also to nurture a “Bandwagon” effect for other classes.

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