For Mary Jansen Everett ’66 and Robert C. “Bob” Everett ’65, an introduction at a fraternity cocktail party 62 years ago led not only to a lifetime together, but to over six decades of connecting Cornellians.

“Within two minutes of meeting her, I knew this woman was special,” Bob said.

When Mary wasn’t busy studying as a dean’s list pre-med student, she was already establishing herself as a campus leader. She was an orientation director, a member of the Mortar Board honor society, and president of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority—which she helped integrate nationally in 1965.

Mary was also a talented athlete, but there were limited opportunities for women to play sports when she was on campus.

“I arrived on campus expecting to play on the lacrosse team and the field hockey team… Well, guess what? Women only had Phys Ed. We didn’t really have teams,” Mary said. Instead, she and Bob became avid sports fans together, practically living at Schoellkopf Field, Barton Hall, and Lynah Rink.

Bob was a sociology and economics major, and active in fraternity life with Phi Kappa Psi—serving as social chair and becoming involved in governance, rushing, and intramurals.

After graduation, Mary pursued a master’s degree in education at Harvard University and Bob deployed to Vietnam. When Bob returned, the pair married. Mary began a career as a middle school science teacher while Bob began working on Wall Street.

The Everetts moved to Westchester County in 1968, immersing themselves in their community—particularly through youth athletics.

Mary became the first woman to coach soccer in a 2,500-kid youth league, and always made sure there were baked goods for the young players to enjoy. “They don’t care [about the game],” she joked. “They care about the cookies that are coming at the end.”

Bob officiated high school football and lacrosse in Westchester, and served as a commissioner for community baseball and soccer programs. The Everetts’ mutual passion for athletics dovetailed with their commitment to Cornell when, in the mid-1970s, Bob—along with Jay Carter ’71—helped canvas high school coaches in Westchester to uncover top athletes who could play at an Ivy League level. The result—Cornell coaches could concentrate on recruiting at 10 local schools rather than 50.

Bob’s involvement morphed from interviewing prospective students into coaching scholar-athletes through the admissions process, and then helping Cornell athletes succeed on campus and in their careers.

In the 1980s, Bob first joined the Cornell University Council and later became a vital member of the Athletics Alumni Advisory Council.

The Everetts have worked tirelessly in tandem, with Mary’s work often behind the scenes. Since graduating from Cornell, Bob and Mary have attended a combined 24 Reunions, and Mary has dedicated herself to her Class of ’66. As networking chair, Mary has spent countless hours searching for—and successfully finding—alumni who had fallen off the radar, and linking them back with their classmates and their university.

“She is the quietest leader in the history of Cornell. Her focus is on building community,” Bob said.

This natural talent for cultivating connections led Bob to work for Cornell’s Metro New York Regional Office. As a special gifts and major gifts officer, each month he met with 10 to 12 Cornellians who had fallen out of touch with the Cornell community.

“Fifty percent of those cold calls became really close friends. I could create opportunities for them to get involved in Cornell on their own terms, and they trusted me. Rather than solicit them for money, I would say ‘Here is an opportunity that you need to know about.’ I was there to enrich their lives,” Bob said of his work.

Bob and Mary have contributed significant philanthropic gifts across the university, from the Cornell Chimes to Cornell Atkinson and Big Red Athletics. Two of their children, Liz Everett Krisberg ’97 and Catherine “Cate” Everett MMH ’19, attended Cornell and helped the whole family—including their brother Peter Everett, a pediatrician and a championship oarsman at Williams College—become part of Cornell history. Along with Liz’s husband, Brian Krisberg, the family banded together with a gift to create the Everett Family Head Coach of Women’s Ice Hockey.

From September through March—the length of the women’s hockey season—Bob and Mary drive throughout the country to attend every game, and Mary’s famous Thursday cookie deliveries (8–10 dozen weekly!) have become a cherished tradition for “their girls.”

“It’s not just giving money,” Mary emphasized. “It’s being involved, getting to know them, helping them. I say we receive the best gift of all.”

Together, the Everetts have created an ever-expanding network of Cornellians helping Cornellians, connecting alumni across backgrounds, generations, and interests.