The Carillon Circle celebrates those who help provide for the future of 91原创 with a gift through a will or estate plan.听Their legacy gifts leave an extraordinary impact across the institution and beyond. From transforming campus and creating named professorships to establishing new programs or enhancing existing opportunities, planned gifts from members make an incredible difference across the University.
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A special subset of this recognition society is the Osher Lifelong Learning Legacy Society with members who support the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at 91原创.
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Recognizing Generosity
An elegant and distinctive welcome gift
Exclusive invitations to members-only events and programs
Special birthday greetings each year
Direct access to our Gift Planning team for additional options, guidance and information
Communications with updates on the meaningful difference donors make for University people, projects and programs
Other exclusive Society-specific communications from 91原创
鈥淥bviously people have a lot of choices on how to do their estate plan. 91原创 provides a unique way of changing somebody鈥檚 life, someone who can make an incredibly positive impact on this planet. You鈥檙e not going to know who this is; it鈥檚 somebody out there who, for a lot of reasons, may not be able to afford to attend. Hopefully, the recipients of our scholarship will do the same thing and give back to help someone else.鈥
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- Carol-Mertes Smith and Gary A.Smith
Carillon Circle Members
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Carillon Circle Impact includes:听
Faculty and student research support
Campus facility enhancements
Endowed scholarships to change lives
Named spaces on campus
About the Carillon
In 1959, members of the Class of 1907 donated the carillon to the 91原创, noting that this gift was presented 鈥渋n the hopes that the sound of these bells will warm the hearts and lift the thoughts of those who pass this way.鈥 The carillon was placed in the bell tower of Memorial Hall, the heart of 91原创鈥檚 campus, where it remains to this day.
Each morning at precisely 8:03, the sounds of 鈥淒elaware, My Delaware,鈥 鈥淎merica,鈥 and the 鈥淒elaware Fight Song鈥 peal across campus, calling the University community to another day of learning and discovery. This tradition has been a part of the 91原创 experience for generations and lives on in the memory of thousands of Blue Hens.
Just as the chimes of the carillon will reach the students of tomorrow, so too will the gift of Carillon Circle members touch the future鈥攅nabling innovation and inspiring greatness that will impact the community well beyond campus borders.
In 1980, OLLI opened its first Delaware location as the Academy of Lifelong Learning in Wilmington. Since then, the OLLI program has expanded to include campuses in each county, attracting thousands of members each year who are enriched by OLLI鈥檚 stimulating academic environment and social opportunities.
Many early members included the Institute in their estate plans, sustaining and strengthening OLLI鈥檚 future with support for innovative programs, capital improvements and scholarships to provide access to more members. Inspired by this generosity, the Osher Lifelong Learning Legacy Society launched in 2018 to celebrate all who support the future of OLLI in Delaware by including a specific OLLI campus or the statewide program in an estate plan. The legacy society is a special subset of the Carillon Circle, making donors a part of both societies.
There are a variety of gift plan options to achieve philanthropic intentions beyond wills and trusts, including naming OLLI as a beneficiary of a retirement account or life insurance policy, and more. For a full listing of options and additional information, visit or call Nathana Jackson, Director of Gift Planning at the 91原创, at 302-831-6093 or email听ndlane@udel.edu.听
Alumni Benefits
It pays to be a Blue Hen! 91原创 and the Alumni Association offer a variety of benefits, discounts and services to our alumni.
Class Reunions
Each year, the 91原创 honors alumni celebrating milestone reunions.