Defining Charity Upward

摘要

When I read a few months ago about an anonymous $50 million donation to Middlebury College, followed by an additional $10 million, also anonymous, I wondered, "Why not Spectrum?" Not that I have anything against Middlebury, which is in my home state of Vermont. It is a fine institution, one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country. It does a good job in fulfilling its mission. But I have to wonder: Why would someone wealthy enough to make such a donation give to a place that already has beautiful buildings, a golf course, a ski slope, a magnificent hockey rink, a first-class cafeteria/restaurant and one of the highest tuition rates in the U.S.?