Tony ’57, MBA ’59 and Cynthia Lamport P’90, ’89 want to make sure that the brightest people can go to Harvard, regardless of family means. To support their deep appreciation for the Harvard experience and the importance of financial aid, the Lamports turned to the Office of Gift Planning.
“We’ll be making a gift to Harvard through our will, but I also wanted to do something now,” says Tony, president of Lambda Fund Management. “I believe in the excellence at Harvard and want it to continue.”
The couple worked with staff members in the Office of Gift Planning to establish the Lamport Scholarship Fund with a gift of appreciated securities.
“Making a planned gift to Harvard is a smart way to avoid capital gains tax,” says Tony, a veteran investment banker and venture capitalist. “Harvard helps to bridge that problem by offering this kind of opportunity.”
Since establishing the fund, the couple has contributed gifts of appreciated securities many times. Additionally, they have made gifts in support of The Harvard Campaign for Arts and Sciences and in honor of Tony’s upcoming 60th Reunion.
For Tony, his College days inspire him to give back. “I learned so much from my friends—who were all majoring in different fields—and the talks we had in the dining room at Lowell House,” he says. “Harvard teaches a certain appreciation of culture, of keeping your mind open, and of the importance of continuous learning.”
He concentrated in mathematics and went on to Harvard Business School, where he met his future wife, Cynthia, through a mutual acquaintance. Their connection to Harvard has deepened as the parents of two Harvard graduates, Sarah Lamport Laurence ’89 and Aaron M. Lamport ’90.
For Cynthia, creating a financial aid fund was deeply personal. “I attended college on a full scholarship. I wouldn’t have been able to go otherwise,” says the full-time artist. “With the benefit of financial aid, I thrived, made wonderful friends, and was able to learn and to think in so many new and exciting directions.”
Tony and Cynthia are both pleased by how their gift has impacted students at the College.
“For years, I have been supporting Harvard as a fundraiser and volunteer,” says Tony, who is an active reunion volunteer for the Class of 1957. “I knew how important it was to set up a scholarship fund, but it made it all the more personal to meet some of the students who have benefited. I’ve been so impressed by the people I’ve met.”
Tony and Cynthia maintain close ties to Harvard, whether attending class reunions or celebrating birthdays with Tony’s roommates, and are proud to lend their philanthropic support.
“Harvard is one of the great institutions of the world,” says Tony. “And it’s important to us that it keeps going strong.”
Learn more about making a gift of appreciated assets to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and including Harvard in your will. You can also email ogp@harvard.edu for more information.