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Alex Sacerdote
Overview
Alex Sacerdote, Hamilton College Class of 1994, is the alumnus whose family gift established and named the Sacerdote Great Names Series, Hamilton’s premier public lecture program. The series, launched in 1996, has brought nationally prominent politicians, journalists, entertainers, and public intellectuals to campus for free, public lectures, typically held in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House.
Key Facts
Class year: 1994 Role: Major donor; namesake of lecture series
Relevance to Research
Sacerdote’s gift is described in Spectator sources as “a large monetary gift” (2004) and “a significant gift” (2006) — the exact amount is not disclosed in available sources. The series began in 1996 and by the 2004–05 academic year had hosted at least twelve speakers, with Bill Clinton as the 2004 speaker and Tom Brokaw announced as the 13th in September 2005. (Spectator, September 3, 2004; Spectator, September 30, 2005; Spectator, November 10, 2006)
In a 2012 source, the Sacerdote gift is referenced in connection with “his parents,” suggesting the gift may have been made by the Sacerdote family rather than Alex alone. (Spectator, February 16, 2012)
Sacerdote’s career after Hamilton is not documented in available Spectator sources.
Open Questions
- The dollar amount of the Sacerdote gift
- Whether the gift was structured as an endowment (generating annual income) or as a one-time contribution
- What motivated the gift and whether Sacerdote has remained engaged with Hamilton beyond the initial donation