Endownment named in honor of first lady

The UA President's Cabinet honored the University's first lady Sandee Kirby Witt by establishing an endowment in her name in March.

The cabinet surprised Witt by presenting her a proclamation during their annual spring meeting, which took place under a tent on the Quad. Witt said she had no idea the Cabinet was going to honor her in such a way.

"Sandee has championed for the preservation and upkeep of the President's Mansion as one of the University's fine landmarks for many years," President's Cabinet Chairman Tony Davis said in a press release. "She has served the University with ultimate grace, character and selfless dedication, and it is fitting that we honor her with an endowment that will make it possible to sustain the mansion's elegance and charm."

Witt said the Cabinet knew she had worked for many years taking care of the mansion and the honor would mean a lot to her. It is a project she has been involved with since before she became the University's first lady.

"I was very honored and humbled by the gesture," Witt said. "Working with President's Cabinet was a great privilege for me. To think that they would try to honor me for that service just blew me away."

Witt said the Cabinet has committed $15,000 to the endowment. With an endowment, the University can only spend the interest earned from the principle investment on projects for the mansion.

Before becoming the first lady of the University, Witt said she was the go-to person if there was anything wrong in the mansion. Witt said she would get calls from the president's former wife addressing a number of problems.

"How ironical life is. Now I'm the president's wife and I'm still planning to take care of the mansion," she said.

She was also asked to head a project produced by Jack Warner in the early 1990s that would bring antiques and more art to the mansion.

"The endowment will yield $700 to $800 annually," Witt said. "So we are not making any major changes."

Instead, Witt said the money will help with small things, such as replacing worn linens, broken china and spotty crystal, among other things.

Stacy Mason, a junior majoring in business management, said she thinks the endowment is a good way to preserve the mansion.

"The President's Mansion has an old Southern regalness to it," Mason said. "We should put money toward its maintenance. It is another symbol of our many traditions at the University."

Taylor Corelli, a sophomore majoring in chemistry, said endowments are a great way to build an institution and to honor someone.

"Endowments allow the University to make money without spending what they invested. It's really smart, and they are becoming more common," Corelli said. "Plus, anyone would be honored to have an investment of this magnitude made with them in mind."

During her 27-year career at the Capstone, Witt held various positions in the areas of advancement and development and was a leading fundraiser for the President's Mansion Renovation Fund during the 150th Anniversary Campaign. She also served as the director of the President's Cabinet.

Though she retired in January, Witt said she still has many of same duties now that she is the president's wife. She is still active with the President's Cabinet on a volunteer basis is still involved in entertaining special guests and recruiting students.

"I don't know how it feels to be retired," she said. "I'm still so much involved in the University. It's a great privilege. It has not been much of an adjustment. I just work for free now."