Enduring Tributes

Located in Cornell Botanic Gardens’  Beebe Lake  natural area, Sackett Bridge is traversed by hundreds of people each day, for commuting and recreation. The bridge and surrounding stonework recognize Colonel Henry Woodward Sackett, Class of 1875, a native of Enfield, who was a non-commissioned officer in Squadron A, New York’s noted cavalry organization. In 1896, he was appointed Aide-de-camp for the New York State Governor. Sackett was a generous donor to Cornell, leaving $250,000 (the 2020 equivalent of $3.8 million) to the university for beautification of the Cascadilla and Fall Creek gorges. In his will, he states his wish to make the “intimate enjoyment of these great objects of beauty, more accessible to all.”

Gifts just like these create lasting tributes to loved ones, which can endure for generations.

Cornell Botantic Gardens offers the opportunity for donors to name historic stone benches in the Natural Areas surrounding the Cornell University campus.

The minimum gift for a stone bench is $50,000 for a 25-year designation. If it is damaged or needs to be removed for any reason within 25 years, another bench will be designated as close to the original location as possible.

Plants are essential to our life on Earth, particularly in this era of climate awareness, threats to our environment, and species conservation.  I’m very happy that my gift will support the Botanic Gardens’ mission of promoting conservation, education, and cultural as well as biological diversity.   _{- Howard Greenburg, Class of '76} 

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