{"id":6089,"date":"2025-11-06T08:13:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T13:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/giving\/?p=6089"},"modified":"2025-11-17T13:34:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T18:34:58","slug":"a-lifetime-of-mentorship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/giving\/2025\/11\/06\/a-lifetime-of-mentorship\/","title":{"rendered":"A Lifetime of Dedicated Mentorship and Intellectual Curiosity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bill Hiss \u201966, whose connection to Bates began as an 18-year-old first-year, and grew into that of a dean and dedicated donor, has defined his relationship with the college through intellectual curiosity, lifelong mentorship, and a commitment to helping future generations.<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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\"Bill<\/a>
Bill Hiss \u201966 is seen meeting with Ngan Dinh \u201902 at Fulbright University Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, where Dinh is the President and Hiss was a volunteer consultant on admissions, financial aid, and communications. (Quinn Mattingly for Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

When Bill Hiss arrived at Bates in the fall of 1962, he was just 18 years old. He had chosen to come to Bates after a 45-minute conversation with Dean Milt Lindholm in the basement of Roger Bill (Roger Williams Hall).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI came to Bates with the feeling that I was smart enough, but no genius,\u201d he recalls. Bill left as a curious academic. Over four years, Bates gave him a new perspective on the world. From the classroom to the Admissions Office, where he later returned as dean, Bates became the setting for a lifelong relationship defined by growth, gratitude, and giving back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His Bates experience was shaped most deeply by close relationships with a few key faculty members\u2014Professor Lavinia Schaeffer welcomed Bill to the theater, offering him roles in Hamlet<\/em> and Henry V.<\/em> Professor John Tagliabue introduced him to world literature,<\/span> from early English poetry to Asian literature. A junior year abroad at Glasgow University encouraged him to think globally. A car ride to Cambridge in 1965 with newly hired Professor Carl Straub planted the seed for Bill to make his way to Harvard Divinity School, where he landed after graduation, thanks to a Rockefeller Trial Year fellowship.  These mentors challenged him intellectually and supported him personally. Such connections between students and faculty seemed like a rare gift. At Bates, these deep faculty-student relationships remain at the heart of the academic experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For decades, Bill has returned that gift with steady, purposeful generosity. He set a goal many years ago: to contribute $100,000 to Bates during his lifetime. And he\u2019s reached that milestone\u2014through regular annual giving, the establishment of a scholarship fund for students from Vietnam or descendants of immigrants from Vietnam, and a charitable gift annuity (CGA) that reflects his long-term commitment to Bates\u2019 mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have accomplished what I want to do for Bates in my lifetime,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When Bill decided to include a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) as part of his giving to Bates, he found an option that allowed him to meet his philanthropic goals and support his own financial needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how he made it work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n