In 2018, the MacCurdy-Salisbury Educational Foundation, Inc. celebrates its 125th year of giving significant financial aid, at first directly to the Town of Old Lyme to help pay for teacher’s salaries and building repairs, and later to provide grants to local students going on to college.

We feel it is appropriate at this time to update One Century Strong and Growing, the booklet published in 1993, covering Evelyn MacCurdy Salisbury’s efforts to promote the education of Lyme and Old Lyme students and how the Foundation progressed over its first 100 years. It included contributions from Joseph S. Dunn, Katherine Ludington, Barbara Wagner and Michele Smith Dickey. Mary Guitar from Black Oak Publication Services has condensed this and added to it the story of the Foundation’s extraordinary growth over the past 25 years.

In 1918, the first grants given directly to students going on to college were awarded to two women for $100 each for them to attend Connecticut College in New London. Now, 100 years later, for the school year 2018–2019, we have awarded $320,400 to 92 local students. Grants range from $1,000 to $7,000 per year for four years, providing that the student’s home address remains in Lyme or Old Lyme and that they maintain at least a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) in their studies.

Over the past 25 years we have seen unprecedented increases in college and university tuitions. To help address these, we have initiated some major changes in the operation of the Foundation. We moved from a Private Foundation to a Public Foundation, started an Annual Appeal for funds and merged the Lyme Brevillier Fund with the Old Lyme General Fund to reduce operating costs.

We are confident that the strong foundation established by our predecessors over the past 125 years, plus strong and loyal support from members of our community with their donations and bequests, will ensure that the MacCurdy-Salisbury Educational Foundation can continue to fulfill Evelyn’s Wishes far into the future.