November 15, 2007
To honor our immediate past president, the AIA has established the Nancy C. Wilkie Lectureship in Archaeological Heritage. This new lectureship is a fitting tribute to Wilkie’s tremendous contributions to the Institute and to her tireless advocacy of preservation and public appreciation for archaeological heritage.
A campaign to endow one or more Wilkie Lectures was launched last November. To date, some ninety-one donors have contributed more than $40,000, making it possible to offer two lectures in archaeological heritage! In addition, an anonymous donor has pledged a $20,000 planned gift to augment the fund in the future.
The funds in hand are sufficient to permanently endow two annual Wilkie Lectures. The lectures will be part of the AIA’s esteemed National Lecture Program and may be held at any AIA local society. Lecturers will be chosen for their ability to engage the public in stimulating discourse about topics such as the impact of war on archaeological sites, repatriation of cultural artifacts, site conservation, illicit antiquities, ethics, and more.
“In many years of fundraising experience with nonprofit organizations, I have never seen such an immediate and broad-based response to a fundraising appeal,” said AIA trustee and Wilkie campaign chair Kathleen Pavelko. “The support given to this lectureship is evidence of Nancy’s stature in her profession as well as the importance of archaeological heritage to our members.”
The AIA is still accepting donations to the Wilkie Lectureship in Archaeological Heritage. Anyone wishing to make a gift to this fund may do so by sending payment to AIA headquarters at 44 Beacon Street; Boston, Massachusetts 02215. You may also contact the AIA Development Department at 857-305-9350 or at development@aia.bu.edu to request more information or to discuss making a credit card, stock, or other type of donation.
