Laura Good ’56 describes herself as a “junior” philanthropist—her history of giving paints a grander portrait. Missing only three years, she has contributed to her alma mater annually since 1958; she has endowed the Katherine Duddy Smith ’21 memorial fund to honor a family friend who pointed her to Cornell; and she has named the university a beneficiary of her estate. Celebrating her generosity, Cornell has welcomed Laura to the 1865 Society and the Cayuga Society.

As a student, Laura was one of only two female physics majors. She also recalls: “Tuition was $700, and I think room and board was $450.” She adds: “When my son cleared out my mother’s attic, he found my box of stuff labeled ‘$8,000 education.'”

What fueled her philanthropy for Cornell? “I always wanted to pay back my scholarship,” she explains. And she has done just that—many times over, through the decades.