Peter Andras Nadosy

Doctor of Humane Letters

A legendary Wall Street bond expert, you signed on as the college's professional investment manager in 1979, and have stayed on—pro bono—as a Trustee and head of our Board's Investment Committee since 1988. Though a Harvard graduate, you were coaxed into our orbit by Amherst graduate and trustee Ted Cross, who had already rescued Amherst's endowment from the doldrums. Your leadership has led to a greatly diversified portfolio that allowed the funds to take advantage of what was perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in recent years.

Born in Hungary in 1944, you escaped from that country as a boy after the disastrous 1956 revolution, finding your way to the top of your profession here in the U.S. as vice chairman of Morgan Stanley.

Thoughtful and self-effacing, but thoroughly opinionated, you have an ongoing commitment to education, often arriving early for Investment Committee meetings so that you can sit in on regular classes. You have expressed a deep affection for Amherst, calling it "a college you can get your arms around." Your wife Pat has continued her education too, working toward a Ph.D. in botany, and becoming a specialist in the therapeutic, anti-oxidant properties of plants. Indeed, education is a primary commitment within your family, as exemplified by your and Pat's participation on the boards of many educational institutions. Your own fine education was made possible by scholarships, and you have returned the favor by giving scholarship money to the institutions you support.
As the concerned parent of an Amherst student, you sparked the welcome move to bring Amherst's dormitories into the 21st century.

Today, as you see your daughter Meghan graduate, we honor you as well—for your warm friendship, for your generosity to a college you never officially attended, and for helping Amherst to sustain a level of financial strength that matches our educational excellence.

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