Three Generations of Manegolds Direct $10 Million Bequest for Arts and Sciences

President Phil Hanlon ’77 today announced one family’s gift that crosses three generations to advance world-leading research and teaching at Dartmouth by broadly supporting the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Carol and Robert “Rob” Manegold ’75 and Robert’s mother, Sally Schley Manegold, have confirmed a $10 million family bequest as part of Dartmouth’s recently launched fundraising campaign, The Call to Lead.

Robert Manegold’s father, Robert “Bob” L. Manegold ’38, established the bequest before his death in 2000 to support Dartmouth’s academic mission. His family’s vision for the gift includes supporting faculty through endowed professorships, funding independent research during sabbatical leaves, providing teaching resources, and assisting in faculty recruitment. The family formally documented the intention and the amount of the gift this year.

“A gift of this magnitude is an extraordinary and extremely helpful vote of confidence in the important work of faculty recruitment and development,” says Elizabeth Smith, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “I and future deans of the faculty will be true to the Manegolds' investment in our faculty by deploying these funds in impactful ways across the arts and sciences.”

Philanthropy Runs in the Family

The Manegolds have a long history of philanthropy at Dartmouth, supporting faculty research. Sally and Bob Manegold created four endowed Dartmouth professorships in the 1990s, currently held by faculty in chemistry, German studies, and film and media studies. 

In addition, they established an Endowed Professorship Discretionary Fund that ensures endowed faculty can advance their teaching and scholarship. The family also created two endowed funds for unrestricted academic use by Dartmouth.

“My father firmly believed in the value of undergraduate liberal arts education at Dartmouth,” says Rob Manegold. “As a physics student, he also was a strong proponent of experiential learning.”

Bob Manegold spent his entire career building the family business, Dings Magnetic Separator Company, founded in 1899 by his father. Bob Manegold cofounded University Lake School in 1958, a college preparatory school in Wisconsin. It was one of the first college prep schools in the U.S. built on an experiential education model. He was also a member of the Tuck School of Business Board of Overseers. Rob Manegold and both his sons attended University Lake School.

“This bequest from the Manegold family directly supports our teacher-scholar model in which students collaborate with some of the world’s top scholars,” Hanlon said. “It will also provide vital resources to our faculty for years to come, and affirm our position as a world-leading teaching and research institution. I’m so grateful for the Manegolds’ powerful Dartmouth legacy.” 

The commitment from the Manegolds also supports a key financial goal of Dartmouth’s campaign—raising $250 million in bequests by 2022. To date, Dartmouth has raised $144.6 million from 162 families toward that goal. 

Dartmouth also has set a goal of growing the Bartlett Tower Society—open to all alumni who make a bequest—to 2,500 members, up from its current membership of 1,912.

In addition to the bequest, the Manegolds are continuing their support of Dartmouth in other ways. Robert Manegold is a member of the Hopkins Center for the Arts Board of Overseers. His son, Tyler Manegold ’06, has joined the Dartmouth Founders Project, a program for alumni entrepreneurs who pledge to support Dartmouth as they grow and expand their companies’ resources and networks.