Tragic Loss of Bill Sword ’76
More than 1,800 people, at least 30 Ivy members among them, crowded into the memorial service on November 3 to pay tribute to Ivy graduate member William H. Sword, Jr. ’76. Bill was tragically killed when a tree fell on him outside his home during Hurricane Sandy.
A lifelong resident of Princeton, Bill was the Managing Director of William Sword & Company, an investment banking company started by his late father. As demonstrated by the outpour of support at his service, Bill was a much respected and beloved member of the community that served on numerous non-profit boards and stood as a highly regarded business leader. Bill was an active presence at Ivy for much of his life and served as Board Treasurer from 1988 to 2007. During his tenure on the Board, he was highly instrumental in professionalizing the Club’s internal management. Bill was a great man who will be deeply missed
New Faces Join Governing Boards
Ivy recently welcomed new members to both the Ivy Club’s Board of Governors and the Ivy 1879 Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Here’s a look at our two more recent additions:
Allison Bridges, ’96 first served on the Board for a short stint just after graduating. “It was a neat entre to the Board and a great experience for a young alum,” she said. An art history major, Allison earned a Bachelor of Arts at Princeton before heading off to New York City to pursue management consulting and eventually equity research. She graduated from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia in 2001 and later moved to Richmond, Va., where she worked for a merger and acquisition firm. Since leaving the firm to raise a family, she has helped her husband, a physician, sell his high-profile clinical lab business and overseen a variety of commercial properties.
As she’s grown professionally and personally, Bridges has made it priority to stay in touch with the Club. She recently helped with the capital campaign for the Griffin Wing and is assisting with the commissioning of a stained glass piece representing women and the Ivy Club. Now as a newly appointed Club Board member, she’s hoping she can do even more to reconnect Ivy with other women alum. “It’s important for every Board to have a mix of members – male, female, young, old,” she said. “To keep more women alum engaged, the Club needs to have women on the board.”
A graduate of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Antony Taylor, ’01 works as an tech entrepreneur and investor in New York City. “I love everything about start-ups,” he said. His latest project is a public-private partnership with U.S. State Department and USAID – a platform connecting U.S. investors with emerging market entrepreneurs.
He credits Ivy with setting the foundation for his leadership skills. “When you are surrounded by others that want to learn about your story, it can only have a positive effect that drives you to achieve and do so over the long term.” On the Foundation Board, Taylor looks forward to activating his fellow 30-somethings. “Ivy was a big part of my undergraduate life and the number one experience I enjoyed at Princeton,” he said. “Now on the Board, I can give back and ensure that the Club’s most meaningful traditions persist for many more years to come.”