By: J.D. Ross
(315) 443-3094
The School of Information Studies (iSchool) has received a generous gift from the estate of Margaret Gabel, a 1957 graduate of the school’s library science master’s degree program. A resident of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, Gabel passed away in February at the age of 85.
Gabel earned her graduate degree at Syracuse by studying over the course of five summers, and remembered her experience with fondness.
After beginning her career in the libraries at Susquehanna University and Millersburg University, Gabel worked for over 25 years as a librarian at the Elizabethtown College Library, retiring in 1994.
In addition to her work at the library, Gabel served on the board of the Elizabethtown Historical Society, including holding the position of president for three terms. Gabel was also active in her local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, the international society for women educators.
After her retirement, Gabel remained an active volunteer in the community, serving in various positions with the local Meals on Wheels organization and the police department.
The gift from Gabel’s estate to the iSchool was approximately $67,000.
“We are honored that Miss Gabel would continue her lifelong, generous support for the University and the iSchool by choosing to remember her alma mater in this thoughtful and significant way,” said iSchool assistant dean for development Scott Barrett. “Her unrestricted gift to the iSchool’s Dean’s Fund will provide Dean Liddy with the flexibility to use it to support the greatest immediate needs of the school.”
Although the iSchool has not yet determined specifically how Gabel’s gift will be used, it will likely provide some level of financial support for students in the years ahead, noted Barrett.