Brief Description

The endowed fund was established in 1970 in honor of Elizabeth Nason, as her husband, John Nason, retired from the Presidency of Carleton. The fund enables prominent professional women to come to campus, exposing students to women who are successful in their careers. Funding decisions are made by the Distinguished Women Visitors Committee.

Mission Statement

The fund will bring prominent women visitors to campus and the “value of her visit will lie not so much in the career information she presents, but in the opportunity for women students to ‘sit at the feet of’ a woman, to know her not for her accomplishments alone but for her personality, her spirit, her values, her beliefs; - in sum, to know the person of achievement who is a woman."

Composition

The committee is comprised of representatives from the faculty, staff, and student body.

Preferred Skills & Experience of Committee Members

• Commitment to advancing the knowledge of possible career paths for female Carleton students
• Knowledge of distinguished women who could come to campus to help fulfill the mission of the fund
• Ability to seek input from all campus constituencies and make funding decisions that best meet the function of the committee

Meeting Frequency

At the discretion of the committee. In recent years, the committee has met one to three times a year and conducted additional business via e-mail.

Jurisdiction

• College Relations – the fund has sponsored convocation speakers
• Stewardship – it is important to keep Constance Otis and Jean Phillips informed of significant fund activities and events