April 20, 2010
AMHERST, Mass. – Christine Noyer Seaver, a graduate of Amherst’s Class of 1981, will receive the school’s Medal for Eminent Service during its commencement exercises on Sunday, May 23. The award is presented to a member of the Amherst community who has demonstrated extraordinary devotion to the college.
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Since graduating from college, Seaver has given back to her alma mater in many different ways. Currently the president of the Class of 1981 and co-chair of Amherst’s Annual Fund, she volunteered during the college’s last campaign and served on the alumni society’s executive and nominating committees. She has also worked as class secretary, program chair for her class’s 15th reunion alumni fund, associate agent and admission advisor. Perhaps most notably, she held a leadership position on her class’s 25th Reunion Lead Gift Committee in 2006 and helped raise $6.2 million, with 82 percent of 1981 graduates contributing—a level of participation that had not been reached by a 25th Reunion class in several decades.
In a letter notifying her of the honor, Amherst College President Anthony W. Marx said the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to award her the Medal in recognition of her “outstanding contributions to the life of the college over many years.” “We remain grateful for the keen insight, vibrant energy and warmth you have brought to all your interactions with the College—as a loyal alumna, an Amherst parent, an enthusiastic fundraiser and a leader in your class and the Society of the Alumni,” he said. “We appreciate your service all the more because you have made time for Amherst amid the strenuous demands of your career, of parenthood, and while giving selflessly of your time and resources to your local community. You embody the ideals of the Amherst education.”
While at Amherst, Seaver played field hockey, lacrosse, squash and tennis, and she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in economics. In the intervening years, she has worked in finance, development and communications and been active in many local charities and community organizations. She currently works as a freelance writer.
In addition to being an alumna and passionate supporter of the college, Seaver is also an Amherst parent: her son Jack is a member of the Class of 2011.
Each year, the Amherst College Board of Trustees, in consultation with the secretary of the Society of the Alumni, selects a recipient for the Medal for Eminent Service, which is awarded at Amherst’s commencement ceremony. The medal was established in 1934 as a means of recognizing exceptional and distinguished service to the college for a great period of time, often in a variety of areas.
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