I WANTED to make a gift that honored my family’s time at and commitment
to the College, while directly benefiting students. I firmly believe in the transformative power of education. I 
want to do what I can to ensure that an excellent education will be available to all students accepted to Amherst College regardless of their ability to pay.”

DOUG BACON ’71 

Doug Bacon ’71 has many connections to Amherst—both the town and the College. His father, Ted Bacon ’42, was a dean for 14 years and professor for two years at the College. Doug grew up in Amherst, enjoying access to campus life at a young age, so it was no surprise that he and his brother, Ken Bacon ’66, both decided to attend Amherst College. Ken later served as a trustee of the College.

While at Amherst, Doug Bacon majored in English, was on the varsity ski team and was president of his fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi. After earning a J.D. at Syracuse, he became a real estate attorney with Choate, Hall & Stewart in Boston and was later senior counsel at Bank of Boston. In the mid-1990s, Bacon earned an M.S. in real estate development from MIT. He founded his own real estate development company specializing in the acquisition, development and repositioning of large industrial warehouses throughout the United States.

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Bacon notes that The Chronicle of Higher Education named Amherst “the Best of the Best” for supporting low-income, high-talent students.Since graduation, Bacon has watched Amherst become a leader among colleges and universities in providing educational opportunity to low-income students. Bacon is impressed with and gratified by Amherst’s efforts to encourage applications and acceptances by those who are first-generation college students.

In 2011, Bacon created the Bacon Family Fund at Amherst, dedicated to financial aid. Bacon recently made a sizable annuity gift in support of the fund. Bacon’s gift will allow Amherst to continue to offer an unparalleled education to those who might not otherwise be able to attend.