NCAA: UNH alum gives $1 million gift to ski program

By Published On: March 24th, 2007Comments Off on NCAA: UNH alum gives $1 million gift to ski program

Thomas P. Putnam, the former chairman of New Hampshire-based Markem Corporation and a former member of the University of New Hampshire ski team, has given the school's ski program a gift of $1 million to help launch a long-term fundraising campaign designed to help ensure the continued competitiveness of the program.


DURHAM, N.H. — Thomas P. Putnam, the former chairman of New Hampshire-based Markem Corporation and a former member of the University of New Hampshire ski team, has given the school's ski program a gift of $1 million to help launch a long-term fundraising campaign designed to help ensure the continued competitiveness of the program.
    “Tom Putnam has helped us launch an aggressive 10-year fundraising campaign for the university’s ski program, and we are deeply grateful for his support,” UNH Interim President J. Bonnie Newman said. “His generosity helps ensure highly competitive ski teams for both men and women that will embody excellence and represent New Hampshire with distinction.”  
    Putnam skied for UNH in the mid 1960s, and was captain of the freshman ski team before leaving the university to join the U.S. Army.
    “The University of New Hampshire is committed to being a prominent force in the world of competitive skiing, and private support is critical to its continued success,” Putnam said. “My feeling is every private gift to the university’s ski program also is a gift to New Hampshire’s official sport.”
    He announced the gift at a reception held recently at the NCAA Championships, hosted by UNH this year at Attitash Mountain and the Jackson Ski Touring Center. UNH finished 11th in the team standings at NCAAs, trailing national champion Dartmouth and other traditional Eastern powers Vermont (fifth place) and Middlebury (sixth).    
    Putnam’s gift will help fund scholarships, coaches’ salaries and equipment, according to Newman.
    “Our goal is to support all of our varsity teams, and men’s and women’s skiing certainly are two very important teams,” Newman added.  “A $20 million campaign over the next 10 years will support the UNH ski program in perpetuity. There is great interest to keep UNH skiing strong because skiing is so vital to the state of New Hampshire, particularly its economy. We hope to not only build greater visibility for two great teams but to strengthen the relationship between UNH and the New Hampshire ski industry.”
    A committee to oversee the fundraising effort includes names long familiar to New Hampshire skiing circles. Chaired by attorney Jack Middleton, president of McLane, Graf, Raulerson and Middleton law firm, the committee will include, among many others, Penny Pitou, a New Hampshire native and the first American to win an Olympic downhill medal.
    “Trustees, legislators, alumni, members of the New Hampshire ski industry and others want to create a permanent solution and insure the competitiveness of UNH skiing,” Newman said. “We are counting on our friends in the skiing community, both businesses and individuals, to help us insure that UNH skiing will be forever a part of New Hampshire and its flagship university.”
    Both the men and women’s ski teams have a grade-point average exceeding 3.1 in 2007 and carry the highest grade point average of all UNH varsity teams.  UNH skiers also have finished among the NCAA Skiing Championships top 10 in 15 of the past 21 years, earning six national championships since 1954.

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