Dinner at the Friars Club Benefits
The University of Witwatersrand Art Galleries

New York, New York - On Monday, June 26, 2006, The University of the Witwatersrand Fund, Inc. held a reception and auction at The Friars Club, New York to benefit the University of the Witwatersrand Art Galleries. The University (Wits) boasts alumni such as Nelson Mandela among its four Nobel laureates and has over 100,000 graduates many of whom have made their mark nationally and internationally. The hosts of the evening were Professor Loyiso Nongxa, Wits’ Vice-Chancellor and Principal; Stanley Bergman, Chairman, The University of the Witwatersrand Fund, Inc. (Wits Fund); and John Chalsty, Chairman, US Advisory Board, Mandela Institute.

  Wits Fund’s Board member Mr. Trevor Davis was the Event Sponsor this year of Dinner at The Friars Club. Located in a charming old building in the heart of midtown Manhattan, the Friars Club was perfect in size and location. Cocktails were served on the 2^nd floor and, after cocktails and speeches, dinner was served in The Frank Sinatra Room on the ground floor. The auction took place during dinner.

During a very successful evening alumna and auctioneer-extraordinary Jennifer Roth, Senior Vice President of Sotheby’s conducted a lively, lucrative auction. Items auctioned included a stay at the exclusive Sabi Sabi Lodge generously donated by alumnus Mr. Hilton Loon chairman of Sabi Sabi and a stay at Shamwari Game Reserve (Eagle’s Creek), a gift arranged by Dr. Felicia Suttle, president of SA Tourism, USA.. Several major artists made gifts for auction, including South Africa’s acclaimed master sculptor Eduardo Villa and Wits alumna and resistance artist Kim Berman. Villa’s painted steel, Blue Champion 2005 was sold as was Kim Berman’s Highveld Dawn, a monotype on paper. Wits Fine Art Professor and renowned collector and curator of African Art, Karel Nel donated a beautiful Ithunga (Milk pail), which was also sold.

Dr. Ali Bacher, distinguished visitor and head of the Wits Foundation, was Master of Ceremonies He introduced Mr. Stanley Bergman, chairman of Wits Fund who welcomed many distinguished guests, and  Vice Chancellor, Professor Nongxa, a mathematician and the first black South African to be a Rhodes scholar. Professor Nongxa said that Wits has 23, 567 students and that Black student numbers grew from 57% in 2000 to 66% in 2004. He spoke of plans to improve student preparedness to enter college supported by a generous Goldman Sachs funded program focusing on student preparations for college starting in secondary school. Prof Nongxa: “By 2015 Wits will have consolidated its status as an intellectual powerhouse in the developing world.  To this end, Wits will seek systematically to enhance its status in the world rankings of universities.  We aim to be ranked in the top one hundred universities in the world by 2020."

Distinguished guests who were present that evening included Dr. Alan Kisner and Mrs. Dawn Kisner (who generously donated stays at their famous Makweti Lodge last year), Mr. David Lobel who recently made a gift to support promising black students, members of the Committee for Dinner at the Friars Club, and Board members including new Board member Mr. Bruce Hubbard.

Wits Fund chairman Stanley Bergman hailed the event as a great success:  "The audience, through their enthusiasm and interest, demonstrated their appreciation for Wits Fund’s work and dedication to ensuring that Wits maintains its place as a great University.  Future events will build on the international perspectives of this audience and on Wits ambitious standards of excellence in learning, teaching and research thereby maintaining and enhancing Wits renowned global high standing."

When Stanley Bergman spoke of events that Wits Fund would sponsor in 2007, he mentioned the Wits Fund and Mandela Institute conference, “Trade as the Vehicle for Peace in Afica,” to be held at Wits in July 2007.

Take a look at photos from the event.

The Board of The University of the Witwatersrand Fund, Inc:

Stanley Bergman, Chairman, John Chalsty, Trevor Davis, Bruce Hubbard
David Schneider, Executive Director, John Teeger, President.

 
The Committee of prominent Alumni and Friends for “Dinner at The Friars Club” on June 26, 2006:  Shelley Binder, Paul Browde, Claudine Cohen, Ivan Dreyer, Martin Feldman, Barbara Fix, Marc Herson, Sophie Jaff , Dawn Kisner, Lauren Kisner, Glenys Lobban, Sharon Mendelow, Elizabeth Ninan, Lara Price, Jennifer Roth, Anthony Schneider, Susan Teeger, Aric Yusim.