People and Happenings
Farewell to Mount Auburn ’ s
First Lady of Fundraising
Priscilla P . Morris , or “ Piper ,” as she is known , retired as Senior Vice President of Development in June . Piper came to Mount Auburn six years ago in 2004 as the first development officer at the Cemetery . Working in development offices from Bates College in Maine to New England independent schools ( Westover School in Middlebury , Conn . and Noble & Greenough in Dedham , Mass .) to renowned medical institutions like the Lahey Clinic and Tufts University School of Medicine , she had already enjoyed a long and fruitful career in her field . Earlier in her work life , she ran her own successful health care marketing firm with a business partner in Detroit , Mich .
Under her guidance , Mount Auburn ’ s fundraising efforts have flourished ; total giving has risen 328 % since her arrival in FY2005 . In this past year , her department was responsible for raising nearly $ 1.4 million , a 52 % increase above FY2009 ( which saw a 57.5 % increase in contributions over FY2008 ). The Annual Fund , foundation grants , and planned giving have all seen significant growth in the past six years .
Clemmie Cash ( Wellesley , Mass .), Chair of the Friends of Mount Auburn Trustees , has known Piper since she was Dean of Institutional Advancement at Noble & Greenough School during the years when Cash ’ s daughter attended .“ What impressed me about Piper is her deep commitment to the cause for which she ’ s working . I saw that passion at both Nobles and Mount Auburn . I can ’ t imagine her not being totally committed .”
14 | Sweet Auburn
Piper Morris ( third from left ) with Mount Auburn staff members ( l-r ) Melissa Wilson , Lauren Marsh , and Samantha Furbush , and left with Dave Barnett at her retirement party .
Piper ( center ) with ( l-r ) her son , Edward , daughter-in-law , Susannah , son-in-law , Jeff , granddaughter , Lilly , daughter , Sarah , and granddaughter , Cecelia ( born 9 / 22 / 09 ) taken in Westport , MA , in July of 2009 .
In addition to her fundraising responsibilities , Piper , under the leadership of former president Bill Clendaniel , was tasked with the rebranding of Mount Auburn as a cultural institution worthy of philanthropic support , which included the complete redesign of the look and format of the Cemetery ’ s publications , among them Sweet Auburn , our biannual magazine . During her tenure here , she also spearheaded the planning and implementation for the successful two-year long 175th Anniversary Celebration , including the memorable gala in 2007 , which over 300 people attended .
“ Piper was a terrific teacher to all of us on the Development Committee and for The Friends of Mount Auburn ,” says Mount Auburn Trustee Widgie Aldrich ( Cambridge , Mass .).“ She instilled confidence in us to enable us to start our first capital campaign . She was our cheerleader .”
“ I have always loved Mount Auburn ,” says Piper , “ from my undergrad days at Harvard when I rode my bike over to
Piper during the events of the 175th Anniversary Celebration , including a lecture with Dr . Henry Louis Gates .
study here until now when I have been lucky enough to work at this very special place . I will miss being here every day , but I know I ’ ll be a frequent visitor .”
Piper lives in Cambridge , about five minutes from Mount Auburn . She has a grown son ( Edward ) and daughter ( Sarah ), both married , and two small granddaughters ( Lilly and Cecelia ) whom she sees frequently and looks forward to spending more time with . She expects her retirement to include travel ( especially road trips in the U . S .) and genealogical study of her family ( both sides ) dating back to the 17th century in the U . S .
With her straight shooting , no-nonsense business savvy , her engaging personality , and her warmth as a co-worker and manager , she is a truly great lady who will be missed by all those who have had the pleasure of working with her . We are certainly grateful that she decided to cap her career with us .
[ Piper ’ s mother ’ s family , the Sortwells , have had a lot in Mount Auburn Cemetery since the 19th century at Crystal and Pearl Avenues .]