Leading the Way: Kullman Family Donates $1.5 Million

By Kristin Mumford, Director of Advancement and Enrollment Management
Tower Hill School is delighted to announce a transformational leadership gift of $1.5 million from the Kullman family—Trustee Ellen Jamison Kullman ’74, Michael Kullman, Maggie Kullman ’08, David Kullman ’12 and Stephen Kullman ’12.

This generous contribution will significantly advance the strategic initiatives of the Tower Hill 100 Campaign, specifically to: 1) Invest in Tower Hill’s excellent faculty by endowing a faculty innovation fund that will subsidize faculty graduate studies and create a travel stipend program to recognize distinguished faculty and 2) Invest in financial aid, which will enable Tower Hill to attract the best and the brightest students.

“Ellen Kullman’s dedication to Tower Hill as an alumna, parent and trustee of the school has been nothing short of exemplary, and her family’s loyal involvement has been tremendous,” Head of School Bessie Speers said. “This leadership gift will make a significant impact on Tower Hill’s ability to support faculty and students and further advance the mission of Tower Hill.”
In recognition of this remarkable gift, the new dining commons will be named “Kullman Commons” in honor of the Kullman family. This new space, located in the heart of Tower Hill, will enable academic excellence at the highest levels, by unhinging the academic scheduling process from lunch, something the school could not do without this community space. Kullman Commons will be a community space that also represents the values Kullman and her family have exemplified throughout their decades-long relationship with Tower Hill—a belief in the power of community, intellectual curiosity and a closeknit family.

“The foundation I received at Tower Hill prepared me for a successful career as a leader in the field of science,” Kullman said. “Each of our children benefited from the academic excellence and rigor of a Tower Hill education. As a family, we believe in investing in education, and in particular financial aid, which ensures access to a Tower Hill education for top students who might otherwise not be able to attend.”

A newly constructed dining space will be named Kullman Commons in honor of the Kullman family’s transformational leadership gift to the Tower Hill 100 Campaign. The family’s $1.5 million gift supports a faculty innovation fund and financial aid. Kullman Commons, which encloses a courtyard adjacent to the existing dining room, will provide dedicated meeting space conducive to teacher and student collaboration. Construction is scheduled for completion in May 2020.
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