This month kicks off a year-long celebration of the Naval Institute’s founding 150 years ago. It also marks the start of the second full year of events at the Jack C. Taylor Conference Center! It is gratifying to see this new facility mature into everything we hoped it would be. Most rewarding is the substantive, lively discourse on naval issues that has been taking place at the Center. (The oohs and aahs about its stylish features and cutting-edge technology are just icing on the cake!)
The Naval Institute proudly and permanently recognizes the Conference Center’s major supporters on one especially stunning feature of this state-of-the-art facility: a three-story dark blue wall configured to accurately depict the night sky on the evening and at the location of the Institute’s founding in Annapolis on 9 October 1873. Nestled among the constellations are the names of our top donors—individuals, corporations, and private foundations—in three-dimensional dichroic (prism) glass letters that shimmer and change colors based on the viewer’s vantage point and the light source.
Among Conference Center supporters recognized on the Celestial Wall are former naval officer and Naval Institute Life Member Tom Furlong, vice president of infrastructure at Facebook, and his wife, Elizabeth Gard. “The Institute’s educational mission nurtures the exchange of ideas—I’ve seen this firsthand in both my military and civilian careers—and the new Center is an embodiment of this,” Tom explains. “We are proud to have the Furlong name associated with this worthy project.”
The Furlongs are a Navy family—Tom is a Naval Academy graduate, and their daughter graduated from the Academy in 2018—and the Celestial Wall offered a wonderful opportunity for permanent recognition at a prestigious site on the Yard.
The Naval Institute’s 150th year is the perfect time to memorialize your commitment by joining the stars on our Celestial Wall. Unfortunately, though the night sky is infinite, space constraints limit the availability of this special opportunity—currently, there is room for only 18 additional names.
Individual supporters are recognized on the Celestial Wall for new tax-deductible gifts totaling $50,000 and above, payable over a period of up to five years. The threshold for gifts from organizations is $100,000.
For more information—and to secure your place among the stars—contact Heather Lancaster at [email protected] or (410) 295-1048.
