This spring, Pomona College President G. Gabrielle Starr shared the following message with the community.
It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the passing of Trustee Emeritus Gurnee Hart ’51. Gurnee departed peacefully on May 22, leaving a legacy defined by wisdom, generosity and an abiding love for Pomona College that spanned more than seven decades.
A proud member of the Class of 1951, Gurnee earned his bachelor’s in economics, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and carried the spirit of a Pomona education for the rest of his life. After serving our country in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Gurnee went on to earn his MBA at Stanford—and from there had a distinguished career culminating as partner at Scudder, Stevens & Clark before retiring in 1994.
Yet for Gurnee, achievements were never an end in themselves. It was always about being in service of something larger. In retirement, he became a visiting scholar at Jesus College, University of Cambridge—one of our partner schools—and went on to serve as a founding chairman of Cambridge in America. He lent his quiet and steady leadership to the boards of the New York Philharmonic and the French Heritage Society, among several other institutions.
To the College, Gurnee gave everything a person can give: his time, his counsel and his treasure. He served on the Board of Trustees for 18 years, and continued as an engaged trustee emeritus long after, serving on the finance and advancement committees, in addition to co-chairing the Campaign Steering Committee from 1996 to 2002. He participated joyfully on his 40th, 45th and 55th reunion gift committees, and later co-chaired his 60th.
He and his wife, Marjorie Leigh Hart, have contributed more than $2 million—creating lasting gifts to our community: the Hart Institute for American History and the Gurnee F. Hart ’51 College Archives Fund, each a testament to his belief in the importance of remembering and honoring the places we come from. Throughout the decades, they have also been loyal Annual Fund supporters.
Gurnee was, in every sense, the embodiment of what it means to bear added riches beyond the Gates in trust for humankind. He did not simply believe in Pomona’s mission—he lived it, in the fullness and generosity of a life well spent.
Our hearts continue to go out to his beloved Marjorie and family, and to all who were fortunate enough to call him a colleague, mentor and friend.
As we remember him, may we honor his life and legacy by carrying forward the example he set throughout his life: bearing his added riches in trust for humankind.
Warm regards,
Gabrielle Starr, President