Aug. 12, 1936–Sept. 18, 2021
Deeply committed to his alma mater, Richard D. “Dick” Cheshire ’58 always found his way back to Colgate, and to Hamilton.
Cheshire devoted his life’s work to higher education, fundraising, and nonprofit development.
He came to Colgate as a National Alumni War Memorial Scholar and graduated as a member of the Maroon Key and Konosioni honor societies before joining the University administration as an assistant in alumni affairs and development.
In 1963, Cheshire left Colgate to accept an appointment as director of development at Dickinson College, later taking on a role as assistant to the president and director of development at Drew University in 1966 and earning his PhD at New York University along the way.
He returned to Hamilton in 1972 to serve as the vice president of public affairs for Colgate’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations, during which time he effectively administered the successful Colgate ERA Development Program, a $30 million capital campaign.
“As our campaign leader, Dick was smart, thoughtful, organized, and professional, and a wonderful ambassador for Colgate,” says Chuck Fox ’70, who worked with Cheshire from 1973–’78. “He was a skillful and successful team leader.”
In 1977, he moved to Florida, accepting the position of University of Tampa president.
While at Tampa, Cheshire led efforts to strengthen the curriculum, upgrade the faculty, and recruit a more competitive student body. As a testament to his time spent successfully fundraising for Colgate, Cheshire raised $32 million for the University of Tampa in just four years after his arrival, reaching 31% above the target.
Cheshire’s journey with leadership and higher education continued even after his resignation from the University of Tampa in 1986. He later joined the faculty of New York University as a visiting scholar, CSIS News as vice president for development, Shakespeare Globe Centre of North America as executive director, and various positions at Chapman College. Using his vast life experiences, Cheshire wrote his 2003 book, Leading by Heart, which proposes a new model of leadership for civic causes.
Though his dedication to learning took Cheshire across the country, he made his way back home to Hamilton, settling himself and his family on Lake Moraine. He rejoined the Colgate faculty and staff as a member of the Upstate Institute board as well as a founder and teaching regular in the Institute’s LifeLong Learning Program.
“Above all, Dick was a kind and caring man who loved his family, loved Colgate, cherished his friends, and made the world around him a better place,” Fox says.
Cheshire died at the age of 85 in his Hamilton, N.Y., home. He is survived by his wife, Roberta (Bobbie); three children; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.