Giving Stories
Turbine Love
June 29th, 2009
This story is provided by INSIDE Carleton
Laurie Weiss Kracum ’76 recently surprised both herself and her husband, Richard Kracum ’76, with her answer to a question commonly asked between spouses: What would she like as a gift to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary?
“He was probably thinking about jewelry, but I told him ‘a wind farm,’ ” recalls Laurie. She was partly joking, of course, but Rich knew of Laurie’s passion for protecting the environment, so he found a way to give her—and Carleton—part of a wind farm.
“He came up with the wonderful idea of donating a wind turbine to Carleton to commemorate our anniversary,” Laurie says. And so, thanks to the Kracums’ generosity and creative gift-giving ideas, Carleton will soon have a second wind turbine.
The Kracums have deep and lasting connections to Carleton. They met here as students in the 1970s, and their son John graduated from Carleton in 2007. Nephew Matt Kracum is a member of the Class of 2010. Both Rich and Laurie maintain lifelong Carleton friendships, cultivated during their time on campus.
“Our time at Carleton was simply wonderful,” Laurie says. “The professors, the other students—everyone was so inclusive. It was like going to college as one big, happy family.”
The new wind turbine also will honor Rich’s brother, David Kracum ’73, who passed away in September 2008. “He was a very loving brother, and we miss him dearly,” says Rich, who notes that a small plaque will be mounted on the turbine, dedicating the structure to his brother.
The Kracums trace a love of the outdoors and a passion for the environment and sustainability to their time at Carleton. “Carleton’s size and location—on the edge of the prairie—amplified our natural interests,” Rich says.
After earning a BA degree in chemistry at Carleton, Rich earned a bachelor of science degree and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago. He currently is a managing director for Wind Point Partners, a Chicago-based private equity investment firm, and is a member of the Carleton Board of Trustees.
Laurie, who also earned a BA degree in chemistry, is an environmental activist. She is on the board of directors for the West Wisconsin Land Trust and American Rivers and is a member of Rachel’s Network, an organization that promotes women as “impassioned leaders and agents of change dedicated to the stewardship of the earth.”
In addition to the wind turbine, the Kracums have helped to fund photovoltaic panels to be mounted on top of Cassat and Memorial, Carleton’s two new residence halls, scheduled to open in fall 2009. The Kracums have issued a challenge to their fellow Carleton alumni to help finance other projects related to sustainability. “We believe strongly in environmentalism and sustainability,” Rich says. “And we know there are others out there who share that interest. We’re hoping our gifts can stimulate them to get involved with the College’s efforts.”
“We really do have the ability to change the world around us—one step at a time—and to do it thoughtfully and with purpose,” adds Laurie.