The Women's Philanthropy Board will soon move from its cubicle-cramped office in Spidle Hall to the Halliday-Cary-Pick house, the second oldest home in Auburn.
Fran Pick Dillard, current steward of the home and member of the WPB, donated the home to the College of Human Sciences, which is affiliated with the WPB. This donation allowed for the establishment of the Cary Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies.
"We have the pride of place to launch this center which we believe will be unprecedented anywhere through the country," said College of Human Sciences Dean June Henton in her speech April 11 at the WPB's ninth annual Spring Symposium.
Henton called Dillard's donation an act of "absolute altruistic generosity."
"There's really a large connection between the house, the University and the community as a whole," Dillard said.
The house was built in 1852 and bought by Dr. Charles Allen Cary, founder of the College of Veterinary Medicine, in 1892.
Cary's daughter, Alice Cary Pick Gibson, lived in the home until her death in 2006 at the age of 101.
Dillard was Gibson's daughter-in-law and became steward of the home at this time.
"She was an Auburn graduate and did a lot of civic work," Dillard said. "She was a fantastic woman in her own right."
The Cary family's impact on Auburn will be honored in the center.
"We've stayed in close touch with the vet school through the years," Dillard said. "Dr. Cary's study in the house will remain intact."
The study will be open to students interested in learning more about veterinary medicine and Cary.
Architecture students are invited to visit the house to observe its construction.
The home's impressive condition has earned it a spot on the Historical American Buildings Survey, a forerunner to the National Register of Historic Places.
In her April 11 speech, Henton praised Cary's contributions.
"The home symbolizes his commitment to education and the spirit of a true philanthropist," she said. "Our conclusion is that the center could bring widespread recognition for the work of the WPB."
This work includes the recent approval of a new minor in philanthropy and nonprofit studies.
The WPB developed the course Gender, Wealth and Philanthropy, which evolved into the new minor that will be offered through the College of Human Science's Department of Consumer Affairs.
The Cary Center will serve as the venue for the minor.
"The house will accommodate a variety of activities involving many constituent groups," Henton said. "It will be a place where current students will gather, teeming with the energy and idealistic spirit of those veterinary students who went before them."
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