The Foundation’s roots are firmly planted in the Academy. Since 1969, it has made a commitment to enhance the cadets’ experience at this prestigious institution — rated as one of the nation’s most selective colleges. Yet even with this rating, the Academy must compete with other colleges to attract the best and brightest. The generosity of our donors makes a difference in the Academy’s ability to offer a top-notch education.

Here’s a look at some of the Foundation’s recent Academy programs and projects:

Academics

Gifts help support teacher development, engineering, science and law projects, and recognition of academic achievement. Among them:

Visiting Professorship: The Foundation provides $100,000 for a Visiting Professorship, enabling the Academy to recruit distinguished professors to teach full time for one or two years. For the 2006-2007 academic year, the Distinguished Visiting Professor is Jacqueline James. She is a graduate of the University of Miami and the Coast Guard Academy. She hails from St. Vincent and is being afforded the opportunity to teach at the Academy by the Foundation.

The Hedrick Endowment: In 2004, the Hedrick Fellow was The Honorable Togo West, Jr., former Secretary of the Army and former Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs. Former Hedrick Fellows include former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, former Chief Justice Warren Burger and former Defense Secretary William Perry. The Hedrick Endowment also helped support the Model UN program, and supported three cadets’ participation in the Law of Armed Conflict Competition at the International Institute for Human Rights in San Remo, Italy.

The USAA Distinguished Lecture Series: Funding from this endowment supported the Academy’s Corbin Seminar, named in memory of Margaret Corbin, the first woman to be recognized for her military achievements during the Revolutionary War. Academy cadets, as well as those from West Point, Annapolis and other service academies, participated in seminars that focused on leadership, diversity, gender and other human relations issues. In 2004, Stewart Scott, an ESPN commentator, shared his insights on the issue of leadership and athletics with cadets in a November 4 lecture. Mr. Scott was a popular choice since three-fourths of cadets participate in varsity sports.

The Stephen and Mary Meadow Fund: This fund helps with the purchase of computer equipment and software. Last year, 12 Pentium computers and printers were donated to the Engineering Department. The Foundation provided an additional 12 computers, a printer and high speed server to complete the department’s computer needs. The Mathematics Department also received Meadow funds for software upgrades. This fund supports annual updating of computer software.

Leadership Development Center: This Center is the hub of all Coast Guard leadership training, including Officer Candidate School, Chief Warrant Officer Indoctrination School and other programs for those assuming leadership responsibilities. The Foundation supports activities for which appropriated funds are unavailable, such as graduation celebrations that conclude these demanding programs.

OMC Foundation Boosts Sailing Team: The Coast Guard Academy’s competitive sailing team is getting a helping hand from the Wisconsin-based OMC Foundation, thanks to a $35,000 grant it recently awarded. The sailing team will use the grant to purchase a new support boat for use in training. Disbanded in 2002, the OMC Foundation is directing one quarter of its full assets to benefit marine industry non-profit organizations.

Athletic Programs: Through gifts and endowments, the Foundation provides annual, general support for the Academy’s athletic teams. The Foundation’s largest capital project to date was dedicated in October and will allow athletes to compete on an NCAA regulation-size soccer field, eight-lane synthetic surface track, and at stations for track and field events.

Eagle: The Coast Guard’s training ship is also America’s only Class A tall ship. The 295-foot sailing barque is the only active commissioned sailing vessel in the U.S. maritime service. Today’s Eagle, the seventh in a long line of proud cutters to bear this name, was built in 1936 in Hamburg, Germany. Commissioned Horst Wessel, it was used as a training ship for German naval cadets. Following World War II, it was taken as a war reparation by the U.S. and on May 15, 1946, was commissioned into Coast Guard service. Since then, thousands of cadets have honed their seamanship skills on this magnificent vessel.

Tomorrow’s Ambassadors Face Ultimate Challenge In Egypt: While it may not have its own reality TV show, the Model United Nations World Championships in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt is the ultimate competition for tomorrow’s ambassadors to forge alliances and “match wits against the world’s best and brightest undergraduates,” according to the Coast Guard Academy’s Model UN team, which traveled to Egypt in March.

Recruitment/Cultural Programs

Gifts to the Foundation help fund a number of programs geared toward cultural awareness and recruitment. These include workshops for high school admissions counselors, international exchange and minority recruitment programs.

Athletic Programs

Through gifts and endowments, the Foundation provides annual, general support for the Academy’s athletic teams. We’ve also helped build the Seamanship/Sailing Center (1984) and the Rowing Center (1982), and provide funding to maintain, upgrade, and purchase new boats and shells when needed.

Yacht Donations

Through this program, boats are donated to the Foundation for Academy use. These boats are used extensively during the fall season which includes numerous local regattas, competing against boats crewed by civilian adults as well as intercollegiate regattas. Recent donations include a Farr 40, J-35 and Mumm-30, used in the Academy’s offshore racing program, and a 42-foot catamaran that is used as a support vessel. Boat donations are sought throughout the year. The current priority is a Bermuda Race-capable boat.