RUSSELL LLOYD CARSON, it is with highest regard that we reflect upon the singular impact a man of vision, virtue, and formidable talent has brought to our nation’s financial and philanthropic sectors—and it is with great pride that we claim him as a son of Dartmouth.
Russell Carson ’65 received an honorary degree from Dartmouth at its 2015 Commencement Ceremony. (Photo by Rob Strong ’04)
As a young MBA, you began a career in finance that would be marked by equal parts intellect and integrity, setting about a storied trajectory that would see you rise to the helm of Citicorp Venture Capital in just eight years. With the subsequent formation of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe in 1979, you positioned yourself at the vanguard of dynamic shifts in health care and information services, forging along the way an acuity in these fields that is as rare as it is insightful.
Not content with personal achievement, it has been said that you are perhaps one of the most understated of the great philanthropists of New York City. Seeking neither attention nor recognition, among your numerous volunteer and philanthropic efforts you have quietly transformed the lives of countless families through poverty relief and scholarship assistance. Indeed, on our own campus we are especially grateful for the many opportunities provided through the Alice W. and Samuel G. Carson ’34 Scholarship Fund, which honors your beloved parents by sustaining scholars who embody what your father would proudly deem “Midwest values,” regardless of where their journey to Dartmouth began.
For the commanding wisdom and vision you have brought to your profession; for your deeply held commitment to applying your success toward the betterment of humanity; and for the years of faithful service devoted to your grateful alma mater, Dartmouth presents you with the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.
President Philip J. Hanlon
Dartmouth College
