MIT Student Life

by Brenna Morrissey

Reid Weedon ‘41 was a very, very special member of the MIT community. His name may be familiar to many because Weedon helped to found the Independent Residence Development Fund (IRDF) over fifty years ago. He was a very active member of his beloved fraternity, Phi Beta Epsilon. He was also an MIT Corporation life member emeritus, global businessman, inspiring mentor, lifelong sailor and outdoorsman, and outstanding fund raiser for the institutions he loved.

Weedon passed away at his home in Cohasset, Massachusetts on November 2 at the age of 96. He left a lifetime of service to the Institute and the world. Until the last year of his life, he actively volunteered and worked at MIT and kept an office on campus. As Bonny Kellermann ‘72 put it, “One thing is for sure, there will never be another Reid Weedon.”

Weedon’s contributions to the MIT community spread far and wide. MIT President L. Rafael Reif wrote that he doubted “there has been anyone more instrumental than Weedon in building a culture of giving at MIT, and the benefits of this are everywhere around me.” In particular, the members of every one of MIT's Fraternities, Sororities, and Independent Living Groups (FSILGs) have been direct beneficiaries of one of Weedon’s great legacies, the IRDF.

This Fund has disbursed the following amounts to FSILGs since its founding by Weedon in 1964:

Over $25 million in loans for renovations and construction

$4.5 million in direct grants to for educational and safety improvements

$5.7 million in annual operating grants for FSILG upkeep

Over $5 million for FSILG community-wide state-of-the-art computer network upgrades in compliance with new state safety regulations

The IRDF has enabled FSILGs to continue to maintain and improve their facilities, and impact others in many different ways. For example, the elegance of the newly remodeled kitchen at the Women’s Independent Living Group (WILG), was made possible by an IRDF loan. No other university has such a large, comprehensive resource at the disposal of its fraternities and sororities. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the IRDF, a major celebration was held on April, 26 2014 with Weedon and his wife, Estelle, as guests of honor. A YouTube video captured the spirit of that occasion.

Many in the FSILG community are also familiar with the D. Reid Weedon Jr. ‘41 Award, which he endowed back in 1995 to encourage FSILG student outreach to their alumni. The award has been given annually ever since to up to four FSILGs that have demonstrated the greatest effort in alumni relations for the academic year. The completion is spirited, since first place includes a $7,500 cash prize. Especially to help groups seeking to build their alumni relations programs, this past fall, the Alumni Association developed a companion Weedon Grant program. In the inaugural round, seven FSILGS received grants ranging up to $1000, and henceforth each semester there will be similar rounds of grants.

The MIT Community made sure to honor Weedon through a variety of ways. On Friday, December 2, 2016, several hundred people gathered in the MIT Chapel to celebrate the life of a man whose legacy spreads across every inch of the MIT campus. Stories of Weedon’s life, devotion to MIT, passion for fundraising, and love for sailing were shared by his family and friends. Chapel attendees included President and Mrs. Reif; many MIT Corporation, Alumni Association, and MIT staff members; and alumni and students of Weedon’s beloved fraternity Phi Beta Epsilon. Attendees outside of the MIT contingentincluded members of the Manomet Foundation and the Museum of Science, and of course, his cherished wife Estelle, his children, and a large group of family members. An MIT video captured the chapel service.

From the chapel, MIT provided two large buses to transport the group to the Phi Beta Epsilon house several blocks away. Weedon’s fraternity brothers put on a warm reception, including a wonderful spread of fruit, sandwiches, desserts, and plenty of Weedon’s favorite dark chocolate. The brothers offered tours of their magnificent house, which had a recent $7 million renovation in large part due to Weedon’s help. There was a brief ceremony honoring his contributions to the fraternity and the larger community. Fraternity brothers Roy Russell ‘77, Steve Carhart ’70, and Bob Ferrara ’67 each spoke about his impact. They presented his wife, Estelle, with a framed picture of Weedon, which was signed by dozens of his MIT friends and admirers, and framed by the MIT Hobby Shop. Estelle loved the portrait and insisted it be hung in the fraternity house so that brothers who come after may better appreciate his legacy. The fraternity renamed the new tool-filled makerspace on the second floor the D. Reid Weedon ’41 Makerspace, and that is where his poster now resides.

Weedon was a tireless fundraiser who volunteered his time to MIT and served in almost every leadership position at the Institution. He was a member of the MIT Corporation, president of the MIT Alumni Association, an energetic force in every MIT capital campaign, and a mentor to a generation of fundraisers who remained devoted to him. On fundraising, he felt that “a lot of difficult jobs can be made easy just by tackling them.”

Weedon received his BS in general engineering at MIT in 1941 before serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Shortly after the war, he joined the international consulting firm Arthur D. Little (ADL), retiring as senior vice president after more than fifty years. Most notable of his work for ADL, and most meaningful to him, was monitoring the “Sullivan Principles.” Set forth by the Reverend Leon Sullivan, these principles for U.S. companies doing business in South Africa sought to end South Africa's economic isolation and, ultimately, apartheid. This work lasted seventeen years until South Africa approved the reform process and held its first democratic elections in 1994. Weedon’s final visit, of more than twenty-one trips to that country, came just after Nelson Mandela was released from prison.

The FSILG community is grateful for Weedon for all he has done for MIT, and how his legacy continues to contribute in both tangible and intangible ways, even after his passing. He was the product of an age, and “there will never be another Reid Weedon.”

Softball Coaching Staff Recognized with Regional Award

Each year at their national convention, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) recognizes National and Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year. This year's convention was held in New Orleans from December 7 to 11, and was a special one for the MIT softball coaching staff of 2016. At the Champion’s Brunch, they collected their award for the DIII New England Regional Coaching Staff of the Year.

The staff was made up of head coach Jen Williams (who is heading into her seventh season) and assistants Caroline Blanchard, Lauren Dobish, Sarah Goodman, and Amanda Jason ‘08. The group led the team to its best season in program history. And what a year it was! The Engineers finished the 2016 campaign with a record of 34-14 and broke eleven team single season records, ten individual season records, and fourteen individual career records.

The team finished the season 16-2 in NEWMAC games and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament for the second time in two years. After winning the Williamstown Regional and a rematch of the NEWMAC Championship against Worcester Polytechnical Institute in the Worcester Super Regional, the team finished fifth overall at the NCAA DIII National Softball Championship in Salem, Virginia. They also finished ranked seventh nationally in the final NFCA poll of the year.

During the 2016 season, Williams became the second head coach in MIT softball history to reach the one hundred-win mark, for which she also received an award at the convention. With 109 wins after the 2016 season, she is just eight wins away from being the winningest coach in program history.

The entire quintet was present at the Champion’s Brunch in New Orleans to accept the prestigious award—something for which they were all very excited. Though the staff has since changed, the bar has been set. The groundbreaking season and standard set by the 2016 coaching staff and team will always be one to strive for. As we head into 2017, the Engineers are excited for what is in store. Good luck to the team this season!