Witten, 'Friend To Anyone,' Wins Hamilton

Richard Witten, CC '75 and this year's recipient of the Alexander Hamilton Medal, never applied to Columbia. After being rejected by his first choice school, he called up an admissions officer at Columbia and talked his way into Columbia College.

At last night's award ceremony in Low Rotunda, Witten characterized his admission to Columbia as an act of "serendipity," one that set him on a path through which he was able to take full advantage of opportunities in his life as they arose.

"It all started with Columbia," he said. "The value of my Columbia education increased geometrically as I matured."

The Hamilton Medal is bestowed annually upon a CC graduate for distinguished commitment and service to the College. It is "the highest honor the College bestows," according to Columbia College Today.

Witten served as the chair of the Columbia College Board of Visitors and is currently the vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees, the chair of the Trustees' Committee on Alumni Relations and Development, a member of the board of the Columbia University Investment Management Company, and co-chair of the University's capital campaign. He recently helped to finance the renovation of Hamilton Hall and the addition of Frontiers of Science to the Core Curriculum, and has made donations to the financial aid campaign.

"Thank you for your support of this most worthy of goals, which allows Columbia College to maintain a need-blind admissions policy, which in turn allows the best and brightest to attend this special school regardless of their ability to pay," Witten said, addressing the crowd on the topic of financial aid.

University President Lee Bollinger called Witten a "friend to anyone" at the University and noted that he frequently values his advice in complex situations.

"You can always count on Richard to be one of the most intelligent people in a discussion," Bollinger said. "When we want to make the institution better we have all the instincts of a great competitor."

Witten noted that he was, at first, an "ambivalent alumnus." He explained that the turning point came when he decided to attend his 15-year class reunion-held in the lobby of Furnald-only to find that just 18 people had shown up, including alumni, their family members, and University administrators.

"I found myself surprised and upset that so few of my classmates had shown up," he said, a feeling that catalyzed his increased involvement in College affairs. "For the ensuing 15 years my relationship with Columbia has been characterized ... by admiration and respect."

Columbia College Student Council President Michelle Oh, CC '06, announced that the dinner had raised $1 million and that an anonymous donor had effectively underwritten the cost of the award ceremony by making a donation to the College for the same amount.