Classmates,
The Class Gift Committee has been hard at work for over a year now on the fundraising effort for the Class of 1978 Endowment Fund as our Class Gift. We are “working hard 78” on this first ever endowment. The Committee has operated as stewards for the great Class of 1978. We kept you up to date on all of our progress, successfully created and analyzed the Class Survey, signed a MOU with the Foundation and have had detailed conversations with all the interested parties and departments at the Nava Academy and the Foundation. The Class of 1978 is truly creating a Legacy that will live forever for future Classes at the Naval Academy. Attached please find a summary of our success to date and what we plan to do in the future. If you are interested in additional information or to ask questions, please log onto the Class Zoom Meeting on Sunday.
Resptectfully,
John H. Semcken USNA 78
Update
We “have not yet begun to Fight”
We’ve always been a class that leads from the front. Whether in the cockpit, the wardroom, the boardroom, or our communities, the Class of 1978 has set the standard. Today, we have a unique opportunity to leave a lasting legacy at the United States Naval Academy—one that will impact generations of Midshipmen to come.
Our Mission: Build a $10 million Class of 1978 Endowment that will live on in perpetuity, providing approximately $500,000 annually to support Leadership, Academics, Athletics, and the Naval Academy Fund. We are not just making a gift — we are ensuring that future leaders receive the very best education and training.
Good? Yes. Great? That’s Up to Us.
Our rich Uncle Sam provides Midshipmen with a solid education—but how do we make it great, if not the greatest? By going beyond what government budgets allow:
- Funding experiential leadership programs that shape officers ready for 21st-century challenges.
- Providing additional resources for top-tier professors beyond standard GS pay grades. Providing additional resources for things like Leadership Coaching and Mentoring and Leadership Research and Assessments.
- Support for top-tier coaches, facilities and resources for varsity, club and intramural athletics.
Where We Stand:
- Thanks to the generosity of 34% of our class, we have already raised total commitments of $7.3 million ($5.0 million came from four of us)!
- But to reach our goal of $10 million, we need every classmate to step up.
Why Give?
- This endowment fund never ends—it will support the Academy long after we are gone.
- Every dollar we give is invested, with 5% distributed annually to strengthen the institution that shaped us.
- You’ll know where your money is going and have a voice in shaping future funding priorities through class surveys. Where can you get that kind of performance and have the ability to make changes every year?
How You Can Act Now:
Visit our Class website, www.usna1978.org click on 50th, read the Ask Letter and complete the Donor Pledge Form.
Make your commitment today—one-time gifts, multi-year pledges or estate gifts truly make a difference.
Need guidance? Contact a Class Gift Committee member or Sara Brown at sara.brown@usna.com for assistance.
It’s time for the remaining 66% to step up. If not us, then who? We’re off to a great start. Let’s keep the momentum going and cement our legacy.
The Class of 1978: Making USNA Not Just Good, But Great.
Go Navy and Go Hard ’78!
John Semcken and the Gift Committee: Frank Behm, Dave Buss, Chip Jones, John Kovalcik, Ray Kwong, Bill Levis, Kevin “Grinch” Lynch, John Rudder, Maurice Tose, John Young