Wells Served by Zabriskies

Not long ago John Zabriskie jr. '61 became the seventh member of his family to serve as a trustee of Wells College, a women's liberal arts institution established in 1868 in Aurora, N.Y.

It all began with Nicholas Lansing Zabriskie, a son-in-law of a founder of the college. Remarkably, Nicholas Zabriskie was a Wells trustee for 50 years, 1876-1926, serving as chairman from 1882 on. And his widow, Phoebe Munn Zabriskie, then served as trustee from 1926-60. Overlapping the terms of Nicholas and Phoebe was Robert L. Zabriskie, a trustee from 1906-47, including a brief stint as acting president of Wells in 1912-13.

The fourth Zabriskie on the board was Alberta Prigge Zabriskie, a 1932 graduate of Wells who served from 1968-77. She was succeeded by Lesley Wead Zabriskie, whose tenure from 1977-86 coincided for the most part with that of Gail Zabriskie Wilson, a 1960 graduate, who served from 1980-86.

The newest Zabriskie on the Wells board, John Jr., is also president of Merck, Sharp and Dohme, the U.S. pharmaceutical division of Merck & Co., Inc.

And we thought Dartmouth had legacies!