Profiles in Giving
George I. Alden
“Legacy: Nearly Eighty-five Years of Philanthropy Through the Alden Trust”
On Merging Theory and Practice...
George I. Alden began his relationship with WPI when he and four other instructors welcomed WPI's first class on Nov. 11, 1868. As WPI's first professor and department head in mechanical engineering, he helped shape the school's founding principal of merging theory with practical experience. Through his work as an educator and a researcher in hydraulics, he also spread the school's reputation far beyond the campus, and he established the predecessor to Otis Elevator Co. and Worcester's own Norton Co. He achieved great success in his business endeavors, but never forgot the importance of education or the institution where his career began.
On Creating a Lasting Legacy...
During his lifetime, George Alden established a philanthropic trust to continue his support for education and for WPI after his death. Today, the George I. Alden Trust is recognized as WPI's greatest benefactor, with commitments to date totaling over $16 million. Through the years, Alden's generosity and his foresight have inspired many of WPI's alumni and friends. WPI's Alden Society commemorates Alden's unique legacy and recognizes a new generation of WPI benefactors whose generosity, through current planned gift arrangements or the intention of a future gift through their estate plans, will help sustain the University well into the 21st century.
If you would like to join George Alden and the hundreds of others who are enjoying the many benefits of planned giving at WPI, please contact the WPI Office of Planned Giving at 1-888-WPI-GIFT or via email at planned-giving@wpi.edu.
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