Three friends join the ranks of honorary alumni
Each year, the William & Mary Alumni Association recognizes a select few friends who have demonstrated a lasting commitment to and genuine affinity for the College, even though they are not graduates. On Friday, May 9, 2014, during a ceremony at the Alumni House, three dedicated individuals were welcomed into the Alumni Association as honorary alumni.
These three friends have a distinguished record of service and support for the College: Patricia Demoff, Cliff Gauthier, and Carol Brown Taylor.
Demoff is an educational consultant and has worked as an independent college counselor for more than 20 years. She first became affiliated with William & Mary through her work as a college counselor. While her daughter attended the College, Demoff served on the Parent’s Steering Committee. After her daughter graduated, Demoff continued to serve William & Mary, working with the Swem Library Board of Directors for six years. In 2004, she hosted the Los Angeles Campaign as part of her commitment to the Campaign for William & Mary. Then in 2006, she became a trustee of the William & Mary Foundation, serving on the Scholarship Committee, Development Committee and Student Affairs Committee. Demoff and her husband, Marvin Demoff, have also generously provided an endowment for the Swem Library and the Demoff Family Scholarship for out-of-state students, in addition to supporting the Haulman Scholarship, the Multicultural Affairs Endowment, the Parents Fun and Student Affairs.
In his 41 years of coaching, Gauthier has dedicated himself to both athletics and academics at William & Mary. Under Gauthier’s guidance, Tribe gymnasts have won 13 USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Team championships earned 184 USA Gymnastics Collegiate All-American Awards and have won more Academic All-American awards than gymnasts from any other university. Gauthier has also led the team to win the College Gymnastics Association’s National Academic Team title five times. In 2004, Gauthier was presented with the Thomas Ashley Graves, Jr. Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching at Commencement. He has also won the Honor Coach Award presented by the College Gymnastics Association and 13 College Gymnastics Association Collegiate Coach of the Year Awards in the past 19 years.
With three relatives who attended the College, Taylor has been closely connected with William & Mary. A devoted fan of Tribe athletics, Taylor has season tickets to both football and basketball and attends many away games as well. She served on the Lord Botetourt Auction Committee every year since 2002, twice as co-chair. Her efforts with the Lord Botetourt Auction has resulted in raising hundreds and thousands of dollars in support of William & Mary student-athletes. As an interior designer, Taylor has also contributed her talents to the Alumni Association. Additionally, she is an active participant in the Williamsburg Alumni Chapter, a member of the Muscarelle Museum of Art, and was once a tour guide in the Wren Building.
