Profiles in Giving SPRING ’25

What does it mean to give? The concept of giving to a school or non-profit usually brings to mind financial contributions, but institutional advancement strengthens an organization’s future through a culture of generosity, connection, and shared purpose, and that strength is built in a wide variety of ways—not solely financial. By giving their time, expertise, and resources, members of our community inspire others to get involved and help sustain our mission for future generations. Over the course of her life, Pamela Smith Henrikson ’58—who passed away in November at the age of 84—gave to Winsor in innumerable ways, and made a lasting difference for those she met along the way, and for those who will continue to benefit from her contributions in the decades to come.

Among the many roles Pam held at Winsor were class ambassador; member of her class’s reunion committee and of the Winsor Alumnae Board; teacher of various subjects (Class III geography, Class V English and ancient and medieval history, and Class VII current events); and coach of the debate team. Pam also served as Winsor’s first director of admission, and spent 20 years as a member of the Winsor Board of Trustees, including a term as Winsor’s first female treasurer.

“People always looked up to Pam as a leader,” remembers Carolyn Kimball Tolles ’58, Pam’s classmate, fellow class agent, and longtime friend. “She’d do whatever was needed, from the most basic to the most advanced tasks, on any project. There was nothing that was below her. And that was really inspiring.”

“She was very thorough and very reliable,” agrees Lee Thorndike Sprague ’58, also a dear friend of Pam’s. “You knew that if you asked her to do something or take something on, it would get done, and get done in a very nice way.” For many years, Lee and Carolyn have led the (highly successful) fundraising for their class alongside Pam. “We looked to Pam to establish the fundraising goal for our class, which was always a lofty one,” says Lee. “Pam was very good at seeing the bigger picture and being able to present it in a wonderful, logical way. She was very loyal to Winsor, and she helped people understand why and how they should support the school.”

In addition to her time on Winsor’s faculty and its board, Pam supported the school with both her financial expertise and her own financial contributions. After her stint as Winsor’s director of admissions, Pam pivoted to a career in banking, rising through the ranks at BayBank to eventually become a regional president. Former board president Marlyn McGrath ’66, P’96, ’03 calls Pam “a pioneer as a woman in the banking world.” More than once, she came back to campus to share her experiences as a woman working in the male-dominated finance industry. Pam was also a member of Winsor’s Lamp of Learning Society, and she supported the school as part of the Winsor Promise Leadership Gift Committee. In 2004, Pam received the Julia Lyman Simonds Award for extraordinary service to Winsor and the community, and she was named a lifetime corporator at Winsor.

Speaking of Pam’s service on various Winsor committees and boards, Marlyn says, “Pam’s extensive familiarity with Winsor in several roles enabled her to always take the long view. She knew the difference between adaptation to change and new opportunities and departure from mission. It is hard to imagine Winsor without Pam, whose loyalty and service exemplify much of what we hope for our alumnae.”

“She was incredible, the way she organized things and got involved and brought other people in,” says Carolyn. “She just had such a warm way about her.” Lee agrees: “Pam had a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. She had a nice sense of humor; a good sense of balance,

and a sense of how to get people together and get things done.”

In an email to the Winsor community after Pam’s passing, Head of School Sarah Pelmas noted, “Quite simply, [Pam] supported the school in every imaginable way for almost 60 years, and she made a difference in hundreds of lives.” Those who knew Pam unanimously agree: she exemplified the loyalty, dedication, kindness, and service that Winsor seeks to instill in its alumnae.