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The Bartels Family

Henry E. and Nancy Horton Bartels, both members of the Class of 1948, are among the university’s most inspirational and creative leaders. After service as a naval aviator in World War II, Hank completed his degree in industrial engineering at Cornell. When he retired from a 37-year career in metalwork manufacturing in 1984, Hank was vice president of Insilco Corporation and president of an Insilco subsidiary. In retirement, he and Nancy continue their lifelong interest in philanthropy and participation in the community. Hank has been active in the Boy Scouts and Historic Deerfield, serves on numerous boards, and is a trustee of the University of New Haven.

The entire university community has been touched by the Bartels’ deep commitment to Cornell. Their visionary 1984 gift to create the Henry E. and Nancy Horton Bartels World Affairs Fellowship has brought distinguished leaders such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama to campus. The Bartels family also generously supports a broad range of Cornell programs that directly benefit undergraduates through scholarships and endowed funds for the dean of engineering, the provost, and the director of athletics and physical education. Their love of athletics and physical fitness inspired them to make the largest gift ever to Cornell athletics, and Bartels Hall is named in their honor. In addition, Hank and Nancy are David supporters of Cornell’s Shoals Marine Laboratory on the Isles of Shoals in the Gulf of Maine.

The Bartels are equally generous with their time. Nancy has been a member of the Cornell University Council since 1971 and a lifetime member since 1993. In addition, she served on the International Programs and Planned Giving committees and as Class of 1948 correspondent for Cornell Magazine. Hank serves as a Presidential Councilor and a lifetime member of the Cornell University Council. He has also served as president of the Class of 1948, as a member of the Engineering Advisory Council, and is currently a member of the Shoals Marine Laboratory Council.

Hank and Nancy have two sons. Phil, a Big Red swimmer, graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1971, and he earned a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago. He is a partner in the Greenwich, Connecticut, law firm of Holland Kaufman and Bartels. His Cornell activities include membership on the Cornell University Council, the Council’s Administrative Board, and the Phi Delta Theta alumni board, and he served as president of the Class of 1971. Ken graduated from Harvard in 1973 and earned his M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School. He is president of Paxton Properties Incorporated, a real estate investment firm in New York City, and he is president, treasurer, and a director of the Sabre Foundation. Hank and Nancy also have four grandchildren, including Katie Bartels, Class of 2006, and Christopher Bartels, Class of 2009.