RE Log Spring 2023

SPRING 2023 Ransom Everglades LOG 77 A single teacher can have a profound impact on a student. For Richard Sager ’70 , Dan Bowden was that teacher. “He was probably the single best teacher I had from elementary through graduate school,” Sager reflected. Sager almost didn’t end up at Ransom School. A teacher’s strike at his public school finally convinced his parents to give in to his pleas to attend Ransom. Once enrolled, he began connecting with his teachers, fellow students and teammates on the varsity tennis team. He attributes his becoming a more well-rounded individual to the experience he had on the tennis courts and in the classroom. “I have always credited Ransom Everglades,” he said, “for giving me the tools to learn and to think.” Sager has taken the lessons he learned at Ransom and applied them throughout his life to lift up others and give back. After earning a bachelor’s degree in econom- ics at Swarthmore and an MBA and MS at Stanford University, he found success in the fields of real estate and art; he is an accomplished sculptor and oil painter and, with his sister, currently owns real estate compa- nies in California and Florida. Throughout his career, he has shown particular dedication to providing access and opportunity to marginalized students, especially those in the LGBTQ community. “I grew up when coming out as LGBTQ was next to impossible,” he said. He hopes his work will help others thrive and feel a sense of belonging. Sager has held leadership roles in multiple LGBTQ non-profits, HIV-related non-profits and, most recently, as board chair of A Reason to Survive (ARTS), a non-profit that helps youth through art programming. In addition to his time as a volunteer, Sager has contributed philanthropically to causes and institutions near and dear to him. Sager first chose to give back to Ransom Everglades as a loyal contributor to The Fund for RE, the school’s annual fund. More re- cently, he established a bequest gift in sup- port of the Dan Leslie Bowden Endowment in the Humanities, which offers advanced summer study opportunities to rising seniors. “As someone who believes in 1) giving back and 2) supporting institutions that I think do a great job in teaching us to be good people and to do so by helping solve the problems facing us all,” he said, “how could I not include RE in my giving?” Closing the Circle: Sager ’70 displays his gratitude by giving back For more information about how to support Ransom Everglades today or in the future, email Director of Individual Giving Chris Speers at cspeers@ransomeverglades.org .