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Lift thine eyes

Three inducted into Levavi Oculos Society

A highlight of the annual weekend for 1842 Society and Miss Matty’s Circle donors, held in Boston October 7-9, was the presentation of Levavi Oculos Society crystals to John and Susan Gager Jackson ’68 and Stella Ferguson Thayer ’62, recognizing their lifetime giving to Hollins of $1 million or more.

John and Susan Gager Jackson

John and Susan Gager Jackson '68

Through their endowment of the Jackson Center for Creative Writing, the Jacksons have created an enormous legacy to honor the writers who have come before and inspire those still to come. Susan, the author of Through a Gate of Trees, a book of poems, serves on the board of Poets & Writers, the nation’s largest nonprofit organization serving creative writers. The Jacksons actively encourage and support writers and writing careers through their philanthropic Liana Foundation, launching the nationally acclaimed Jackson Poetry Award to recognize exceptional but largely unheralded writers.

Stella Ferguson Thayer

Stella Ferguson Thayer '62

Thayer honored her Hollins Abroad experiences with the creation of the Stella Ferguson Thayer Endowment for International Programs, providing support in perpetuity for Hollins’ study abroad programs. In addition she is a loyal supporter of the Hollins Fund and has joined her family in the creation of the Lykes Family Scholarship. Thayer served on the Hollins Board of Trustees for six years.

The 1842 Society weekend welcomed 112 Hollins friends and included a lunchtime talk on leadership by political analyst David Gergen.