Edward Manley, Retired and founder of the Making Headway Foundation, LGB 1956
Edward Manley
La Grande Boissière, 1956
Retired and founder of the Making Headway Foundation
United States
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What I learned most from my experience at Ecolint was the value of an international perspective and the importance of listening and accepting the viewpoints from others in the international community.
I spent my junior year at Ecolint at the campus on the Route de Chêne, La Grande Boissière. For my senior year, I returned to the United States to graduate from High School there. I attended Yale University, majoring in economics and mathematics for a BA degree, and then Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where I majored in finance for an MBA degree. I worked for 28 years in business (24 with Ciba-Geigy), and then retired from paid work in 1992.
My favourite memories of Ecolint were living in the dormitory for boys. We were a group of about 20, and formed close friendships, with exciting contests at the fussball table. Other favourite memories include the ski trips to the Jura and the French Alps. What I learned most from my experience at Ecolint was the value of an international perspective and the importance of listening and accepting the viewpoints from others in the international community.
Today I am 86 years old, and live in Chappaqua, a suburb about 30 miles north of New York City. I have been married for 61 years, and have lived with my wife from Switzerland in the same house for 57 years. We have four children; our son, the oldest, is a Barolo wine maker in Piedmont, Italy, and our youngest daughter is an independent attorney living in Zürich, Switzerland. Our two other daughters live in New York State.
Our middle daughter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour at age 13, and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She is a survivor, married, but still has health issues. While we had excellent medical care at the hospital, there was very little information or services available to help us through the post-recovery period. So, with another parent, we decided to establish the Making Headway Foundation to assist families of children diagnosed with a brain or spinal cord tumour with services to help them through a very difficult journey.
We started with psychological care for parents, educational consulting for the children who survived, later expanding to help with scholarships, family events and funeral expenses. Three times a week, my wife Maya, drove oner hour to the hospital to spend the day in the clinic playroom, bringing arts and crafts supplies and food so she could do projects with the children who were there for their treatments After 25 years, my wife and I have retired from active work, but have remained on the Board and still offer advice to individual families. More information can be obtained on the website: makingheadway.org. Our legacy is the continuation of Making Headway’s work.
If I had to do it all over again, I might have spent less time in industry and more time helping those who are less fortunate.
I would pass this thought to today’s students: while earning money, stature, or fame is important and can be satisfying, there are other needs in the world that can be met through non-profit organisations, resulting in great personal satisfaction as well.