Eton College has a long and distinguished history of benefitting from legacies. Much of what we see around Eton is the result of the generosity and investment of past and present Old Etonians, parents, friends, and staff. Legacy gifts continue to transform the lives of our boys and these gifts, large and small, have helped shape Eton into the world-class school it is today. Today, 360 Old Etonians and friends have pledged to leave a legacy, with the vast majority of these supporters also making contributions during their lifetime.
We are extremely grateful to those who have made provision for Eton in their will.
Richard Ogdon’s Legacy
I was a beneficiary of Eton’s Financial Aid Programme. Without this support I would not have been able to attend the College forty years ago. The education went so far beyond textbooks, classrooms, and exam grades. It gave me friends for life, interests for life, and a start in life for which I shall be always grateful. It gave me the tools and confidence to navigate a career that spanned ‘Big Bang’ in the City, the breakup of the Soviet Union, and spending most of my adult life working and living abroad. So when I returned briefly to the College — thirty-five years after ‘taking leave’ — I was struck by the way in which Eton had changed — and had not changed. The changes in teaching practices and pupil intake have been profound. At the same time the College has retained its historic and time-defying values and traditions along with the unique language of beaks, Dames, halves, tuck, and so on that we all fondly remember.
How has it managed to do this?
At every level the College invests in its future through its excellently managed endowment. The Founder’s mandate to provide a free education to seventy scholars is well and truly fulfilled with over twenty per cent of boys receiving meaningful financial assistance. The facilities are continuously modernised to meet and reflect the latest trends and requirements of teaching, sports, music, theatre, arts; the buildings renovated in line with the weighty responsibilities for safeguarding the College’s historic architecture and portfolio of listed buildings; the Collections and Museums of artworks, books, and sculptures maintained and added to; the list goes on.
We all face day-to-day financial demands whilst we are alive which can limit what we can give. So I wanted to include a legacy… to say “Thank You” in the most meaningful way I can.
Eton’s impact goes well beyond the ‘College gates’ of course (not that we have any!). It spreads its magic with imagination and generosity: not only opening its facilities and events to local school neighbours in the Windsor and Slough community, but pioneering initiatives such as the new co-educational state boarding school Holyport College in Berkshire and the London Academy of Excellence in East London.
We all face day-to-day financial demands whilst we are alive which can limit what we can give. So I wanted to include a legacy to support all the above; and to say “Thank You” in the most meaningful way I can.
Just like making a will itself, a legacy is never too soon to consider.
Richard Ogdon (DH 83)
