Dan Santos: Building a Legacy
"You went to school and you learned things," says Dan Santos '52, succinctly summing up his student years at Bryant more than 60 years ago. "There were no frilly courses. You learned the basics."
Those basics propelled Dan into a job with New York Life in 1954. By 1961 he was an agent working in Louisville, Ky. He's still there today, now in his 59th year with the company.
Commitment, as you might conclude, is important to Dan. And his loyalty to Bryant has been exceptional. Dan has been giving to the Bryant Fund for more than 40 years. He's been making gifts at the leadership level—$1,000 and above—annually for the last 20 years. The true impact of his generosity is roughly double what he's donated, as most of his giving has been matched by New York Life's matching-gift program.
"It's a loyalty thing with me," he says. "When you go to a school and graduate and it helps you succeed in your career, then why not pay something back?"
Building a Legacy
At an age when most people are long retired-he just celebrated his 82nd birthday-Dan isn't ready to stop working just yet. "I'm not much for whittling on the porch," he says.
But as you might expect of a man who has spent his career selling life insurance, he is much for planning, and his support for Bryant reflects this. He has made Bryant a beneficiary in his will, and this gift makes him a member of Bryant's 1863 Society. The society, named for the year of Bryant's founding, honors those who make leadership-level planned gifts to the university.
Most of Dan's reason for supporting Bryant is to give back to a school that helped him in life-but chalk up at least a part of the rationale to enlightened self-interest. Dan keeps an eye on the college ranking guides, and likes to see Bryant on the rise. "What's good for them is good for me also," he says.