Mary Houlne DeWeaver ’71 and Kevin DeWeaver ’72 were intensely private. For the College, 2023 ended with an incredible gift—and the College had no idea it was coming.
By Keith Walters ’11
Mary Houlne DeWeaver ’71 and Kevin DeWeaver ’72 unexpectedly left more than $530,000 to the departments of sociology and political science and international relations.
“Mary and Kevin DeWeaver expressed their support for Geneseo over the years with modest gifts to The Fund for Geneseo, athletics, and scholarships,” says Ellen Leverich ’90, vice president for college advancement. “They did not notify us that they planned to include us in their estate. This gift of more than half a million dollars is a testament to the undergraduate experience they had at Geneseo, and we are so grateful for their foresight and generosity.”
Little is known about the DeWeavers outside of their professional networks, as they lived an intensely private life and have no surviving family. What can be gleaned from those who interacted with them is that the couple’s love story began at Geneseo.
The DeWeavers were both only children. Kevin grew up on a dairy farm in Western New York, and Mary traded the hustle and bustle of New York City for the serenity of the Finger Lakes. According to a close friend, the DeWeavers often took long walks around campus and throughout the region—a habit they kept late into their lives.
Following Geneseo, the DeWeavers moved south as Kevin pursued his PhD in social work at the University of Florida. He subsequently landed a job at the University of Georgia, where he served as a professor and the PhD program director in the School of Social Work for more than 26 years. Kevin’s affinity for undergraduate teaching may have stemmed from his time at Geneseo, where, according to a former colleague, he “felt liberated and free for the first time in his young adult life.” Mary was an avid reader who enjoyed volunteering in her community and traveling around the country with Kevin to academic conferences.
When Kevin passed away in 2011, Mary was “never really the same,” according to those closest to her, but that’s not where the DeWeavers’ love story ends. The couple’s bequest to Geneseo will ensure that their name and memory will serve Geneseo students and faculty for generations.
With their gift, the Department of Political Science and International Relations has established the DeWeaver Professorship, which will support a research-focused faculty member annually, prioritizing junior faculty seeking continuing appointment and promotion.
“The professorship will allow faculty the time to engage more deeply with their research, work with their students on research projects, and publish the results of their research,” says Karleen West, chair of political science and international relations. “The DeWeaver Professorship will also support hiring long-term adjunct faculty who are excellent instructors and teach classes that our students need to graduate.”
The sociology department will dedicate the DeWeavers’ gift to enhancing the student experience, both in the classroom and further afield, by assisting students financially to attend academic conferences around the country.
“With this support, students can collaborate with sociology faculty members, fostering innovative research projects that tackle pressing societal issues,” says Michael Restivo, associate professor of sociology and department chair. “This generous gift will nurture our department’s ability to provide a vibrant community where students can flourish intellectually.”