A unifying moment

When Mary (Midge) DeSimone ’76 and her husband Tom began looking at areas that could benefit from their support, they immediately gravitated to the BOLD initiative. “BOLD is something we needed yesterday,” says Midge, who currently serves as a campaign steering committee co-chair. “This is our moment to unify the campus in ways that support the success of students, faculty and staff.”  

Midge’s experiences as a Salem State student also influenced the couple’s decision. “The distance between North Campus and South Campus was always an issue,” she recalls. “The travel time between the two campuses was often a factor when you were deciding which courses to take. Eliminating that distance and unifying our campus will create new opportunities for cross-pollination at Salem State — both across academic disciplines and through human interactions among the university community.”  

While Midge and Tom’s gift supports enhancements to facilities at Salem State, what happens within those buildings is what matters most to them. “New labs, classrooms and community spaces will enable our students to carry out more sophisticated experiments, participate in real-life simulations and convene with faculty members,” she notes. “The skills they gain from those experiences will not only set them up for professional success, but also strengthen the economy of the entire North Shore.”