Peter D. Danforth
Friend, Honorary Life Trustee, Legend
Peter D. Danforth, a loyal friend and honorary life trustee of Colby-Sawyer College, died on June 29, 2011, at age 77, while in hospice care in Alamo, Calif. He resided in New London, N. H., and Tucson, Ariz.
A memorial service in Peter's honor was held at the New London Baptist Church on Wednesday, July 6, at 11 a.m., followed by a reception hosted by the Danforth family in Wheeler Hall at the Ware Campus Center of Colby-Sawyer College.
Peter was a member of the Colby-Sawyer College Board of Trustees from 1983 until 1992, serving from 1984 to 1987 as chair of the Development Committee. In 1987, he succeeded David Winton as chairman and continued in that capacity until 1992. As chair, Peter provided extraordinary leadership during a pivotal period in college history, during which Colby-Sawyer returned to its coeducational roots, built the Dan and Kathleen Hogan Sports Center, and launched its first comprehensive capital campaign.
In May 1999, Peter returned to the Board of Trustees, serving as chair of the Development Committee and co-chair of the college's second major capital campaign. He served on the Board of Trustees until 2006. In addition to his service and leadership, Peter and his family were extraordinarily generous to the college through their philanthropy. In 2003, he and Sheridan were inducted as inaugural members of the Legend's Society, a group whose membership includes those who donate $1 million or more during their lifetimes to Colby-Sawyer. The strength of the Danforth's belief in and affection for the college is perhaps most evident in the decisions of their two daughters, Laura Danforth '83 and Kimberly Danforth '84, and their granddaughter, Kristin L. Danforth '02, to attend Colby-Sawyer College.
“It's impossible to overestimate the impact that Peter Danforth has had on the life of this college, both as a trustee who provided exceptional leadership and support during critical times in Colby-Sawyer's history, and as a vocal and effective advocate for the college during its two major capital campaigns,” says Tom Galligan. “Peter was a Princeton graduate and justly proud of it, and yet he was a leader among a group of Ivy League graduates who were close to Colby-Sawyer and chose to invest in this small gem of a college on the hill in New London, N.H. Peter believed, and convinced many others, that Colby-Sawyer College was a worthy investment and a place where they would be able to witness the transformative power of their own philanthropy here.”
At the 1992 Commencement Ceremony, the college presented Peter with the Susan Colgate Cleveland Medal for Distinguished Service, the college's highest award. Nearly a decade later, Danforth Hall, a residence hall that accommodates 102 students and a greenhouse, was named in his honor and dedicated on Oct. 23, 2001.
At the dedication ceremony, Trustee Chair Anne Winton Black described Peter as “one of the finest men she's ever known.”
“The heart and hand of Peter Danforth can be felt and seen throughout this college. The extraordinary and tumultuous change in the college's mission to co-education came during Peter's board chairmanship, and he convinced the college to move ahead with the spectacular Dan and Kathleen Hogan Sports Center at a time when finances at the college were tenuous at best,” she said. “Peter knew it was a risk well worth taking as he clearly saw what it would mean to student recruitment, retention, to the overall future of Colby-Sawyer College.” She went on to praise his leadership in the college's two campaigns and concluded by saying: “Peter is a man of substance and vision, a man of action who keeps us all invigorated!”
A graduate of Exeter Academy in 1951 and Princeton University in 1955, Peter served as class president as well as president of its oldest a cappella group, the Tigertones. He remained active in Princeton's Alumni Council throughout his life, receiving the Class of 1955 Distinguished Service Award.
Following college, he earned his M.B.A. from the University of Texas. He served in the U.S. Air Force, which fostered a lifelong interest in aviation. He delighted in making cross-country flights between New London and Tucson in his Cessna, and loved to take friends and family up into the skies with him. He so enjoyed sharing his love of flying that he served as a volunteer pilot for the Wright Flight Foundation in Tucson, which serves to motivate children by exposing them to the discipline and joys of flying.
Peter spent 35 years of his career in venture capital, working at Payson & Trask, Gunwyn Ventures, and, for many years, Fidelity Investments. He left Fidelity to start his own venture company, Kearsarge Ventures, before retiring. He was a director of the New London Trust Company and a consultant to the New Hampshire Charitable Fund.
Retirement allowed Peter to pursue golf, one of his greatest passions and pastimes. The list of golf clubs he frequented is extensive, but he had a special fondness for the Tucson Country Club, as well as for the Baker Hill Golf Club in Newbury, N.H., where he was a founding member. He was also devoted to Bill W, where he found a circle of friendship and fellowship beginning in 1973. He served as sponsor to many Friends of Bill through the years, and was unfailingly supportive, wise and clear-minded in his counsel.
Peter Danforth is survived by his wife, Sheridan Danforth, of New London, N.H., and four children: David Danforth of Milton, Vt.; Mark Danforth of Moraga, Calif., Kimberly Danforth of Larkspur, Calif., and Laura Danforth of Farmington, Conn. He also leaves seven grandchildren and one great-grandson, who was held in his great-grandfather's loving arms not long ago.
In lieu of flowers, the family invites friends who wish to honor Peter to supportThe Wright Flight Foundation or The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
