US Coins

Longtime American Numismatic Society donors honored at 2015 gala

By Press Release

Published: Jan 20, 2015, 11 AM

The following is a release from the American Numismatic Society:

On Jan. 8 in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, the American Numismatic Society held its 2015 Annual Dinner Gala. The event honored longtime benefactors Elizabeth Forbes Hazard Scott and Stanley DeForest Scott, who were presented with the Trustees’ Award for their decades-long generosity and service to the ANS and their continuing roles as models of philanthropic stewardship.

More than 120 guests gathered for a lively event, despite freezing temperatures and travel delays. Following a warm, welcoming cocktail hour, guests enjoyed dinner and a live auction led by ANS Fellow Harmer Johnson. The auction featured many unique items, including three lots of hard-to-find U.S. coin glass, rare books, and a tour of the Art Institute of Chicago with former ANS Librarian Elizabeth Hahn Benge. The event culminated with an energizing performance by the jazz group The Hot Sardines.

In presenting the Trustees’ Award to Elizabeth and Stanley DeForest Scott, ANS Executive Director Dr. Ute Wartenberg Kagan noted the Scotts’ enduring commitment to the Society, their significant contributions, and unparalleled assistance and guidance. Scott has been a member of the ANS for over two decades; he became a life member in 2001, an Augustus B. Sage Society member since 2006, a fellow in 2003, and served for nine years of the Board of Trustees.

Moreover, as Chairman of the Board of Trustees Kenneth L. Edlow pointed out, the Scotts serve as inspirations to him and others by embodying all the virtues of the philanthropic and numismatic community: they are passionate about their interests and exhibit a deep love “of objects, of history, and of art, and an insatiable curiosity about the forces, cultures, and peoples that conspired to produce them.” And they give of themselves in myriad ways, both financially and through hands-on involvement.

During the event, Board President Sydney F. Martin took to the podium to announce a new fundraising campaign to endow the chair of executive director, which, he said, “is arguably the most important one in our organization.” The Executive Director, he noted, is responsible not only for the day-to-day governance of the ANS but for implementing the directions of the Board, managing the Society’s business affairs, conducting research, and serving as “the face of the ANS.” More than any other figure at the ANS, the Executive Director is the magnet attracting the Society’s outstanding curatorial and academic staff. “Looking toward the future, therefore, endowment for the key position of Executive Director is essential if the ANS is to continue to attract and maintain leaders of the highest caliber.”

The initiative to endow the chair of executive director is a five-year campaign with the goal of raising $4,000,000. One quarter of this has already been pledged by generous ANS trustees. Donations of cash are welcome, as are quality numismatic materials that will be held for a 2019 auction. As Martin stated, “An endowment gift is forever and is the gift that keeps on giving.”

The ANS would like to thank all Gala contributors and guests whose generous support for our work made the evening a success. We would also like to acknowledge the sponsors of the 2015 Gala who have greatly enhanced the financial health of the Society:

Patron Sponsor:

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth L. Edlow

Sustainer Sponsors:

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Adams

Anderson & Anderson

Whitman Publishing, LLC

Classical Numismatic Group, Inc.

Stack’s Bowers Galleries

Friend Sponsors:

Dr. Alain Baron, NG SA (Numismatica Genevensis SA)

Harlan J. Berk, Ltd.

Gemini Numismatic Auctions, LLC