Five join the ranks of William & Mary 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 university, even though they are not graduates.
On Friday, May 15, 2015, during a ceremony at the Alumni House, five dedicated individuals were welcomed into the Alumni Association as honorary alumni.
These five friends have a distinguished record of service and support for the university: Eileen Glenn, Thomas Rideout, Kathleen Ring, Frank Shatz and Mark Shenkman.
Eileen Glenn
Glenn has a strong devotion to the university. She became familiar with the school when she married Terry Glenn ’63, and her frequent visits began when their daughter Erin Glenn Brady ’95 entered William & Mary as a student. She continued visiting campus after Erin graduated, due to Terry’s service on the William & Mary Foundation from 1995-2005. In 2002, Eileen and Terry established an endowment for the preservation and maintenance of the garden at the President’s House. Although Terry passed away in 2007, Eileen Glenn continues to stay connected to the university. In 2013, when Terry’s class was celebrating their 50th Reunion, Eileen Glenn made a generous donation to the class gift in Terry’s memory. She has not missed a year contributing to the Fund for William & Mary, even after Terry’s passing, and is a tremendous advocate for higher education.
Thomas Rideout
Rideout began his relationship with the university in 2006 when he became involved with the Mason Executive Partner program at the Mason School of Business. The program consists of a group of senior business executives who provide one-on-one mentoring to M.B.A. students. With expertise in finance, accounting and consulting, he was an executive partner in high demand, and the relationships he established with students were maintained long after they started their professional careers. Rideout followed up a successful career in banking and global consulting by becoming a member of the professional staff of the Business School, serving as director of corporate and alumni relations. After retiring from his position, he created a version of the Mason Executive Partner program for the undergraduate population at William & Mary known as Tribe Partners. Rideout has become the point-person for this program, donating his time and energy to ensure its success.
Kathleen Ring
This year marks Ring’s fourth consecutive term as member of the Muscarelle Museum of Art Foundation Board of Trustees. A number of the museum’s most successful endeavors have been lead by Ring. Her leadership with Wine & Run for the Roses has cemented the affair as one of the signature fundraising events at the university and most successful fundraising event in Muscarelle history. Ring has been a member of the Muscarelle Board for 10 years, but has sought out other ways to make an impact on the W&M community. Ring served as president of the College Women’s Club for two years in the early 1990s. One of her great achievements was brining the director of the National Museum of Women in the Arts to campus for a speaking engagement. She has also been an ambassador for William & Mary while serving on other organizations within the Williamsburg community. She has been involved with the Williamsburg Arts Commission and was the arts chair for the Colonial Williamsburg Tricentennial celebration. Throughout her service with these organizations, Ring has been an ambassador for the museum and William & Mary, using her connections to draw people’s attention to the university and its activities.
Frank Shatz
Without Shatz, there may have been no Reves Center for International Studies at William & Mary. A close friend of the late Emery Reves, Shatz was instrumental in persuading Reves’ widow, Wendy, to endow the Reves Center. Shatz has been a member of the Reves Center Advisory Board since its inception in 1995. In 1998, former William & Mary President Tim Sullivan presented him with the Prentis Award, which recognizes individuals in the Williamsburg community for their strong civic involvement and support of William & Mary. During World War II, Shatz was forced into a Nazi slave labor camp. He escaped and joined the anti-Nazi underground in Hungary. After the war, Shatz embarked on a journalism career, spending time as a Prague-based foreign correspondent. He met his wife there and in 1954, they fled Communist Czechoslovakia. They traveled around Europe and the Middle East before arriving in the United States in 1958. Shatz continues to be active as a journalist, writing columns twice a week for the Virginia Gazette and the Lake Placid News.
Mark Shenkman
Shenkman runs a successful high-yield bond money management company, Shenkman Capital Management, in New York and Connecticut. He joined the William & Mary Business School Foundation Board in 2001, and quickly impressed with his commitment and contributions. When the Business School began fundraising for a new building, Shenkman hosted an event at his home for the architect and potential donors. Throughout his partnership with the College, Shenkman has provided guidance and funding for key initiatives. He has also provided internship and career opportunities for William & Mary students at Shenkman Capital, and has met with faculty at the Business School frequently. He has done much for students and faculty in the M.B.A. Career Acceleration Module in Finance (Investments), designed to immerse students in all aspects of certain career paths. Shenkman has hosted the Investments CAM at his New York office since the program’s inception in 2005.
