Skidmore College to host memorial service for Anne Palamountain A memorial service for Anne T. Palamountain, former first lady of Skidmore College, will be held on Wednesday, May 13, at 11 a.m. in the Arthur Zankel Music Center on the Skidmore campus. Mrs. Palamountain passed away on January 24 in Saratoga Hospital of complications from pneumonia. She was 91 years old. Mrs. Palamountain came to Skidmore in 1965, accompanying her husband, Joseph C. Palamountain Jr., when he became the college's fourth president. Whether at the side of her husband, or through her own initiatives as a fundraiser and liaison to the community, she played a pivotal role in the life of the college and its hometown of Saratoga Springs. During the 22-year Palamountain presidency Skidmore built an entirely new campus, ushered in coeducation in 1971, and weathered student unrest in the late '60s and early '70s. The college doubled the size of its student body; chartered a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; and increased its endowment, bringing a stronger financial footing. Joe Palamountain died in 1987, following his retirement from the college. Mrs. Palamountain's greatest passion at Skidmore was building endowment for financial aid, which she saw as the most effective way to make a college education accessible to all students. In 1979 she spearheaded the launch of one of the college's major fundraising eventsthe annual Palamountain Scholarship Benefitnow a highlight of Saratoga's renowned summer scene. She presided over the event for 35 years, helping the Joseph C. and Anne T. Palamountain Scholarship Fund reach a total of $5.8 million. Within the greater Saratoga Springs community, Mrs. Palamountain was a visible and active leader whose work was recognized by a wide range of organizations. In 1994 she received the President's Award of the Hudson Mohawk Association of Colleges and Universities, and in 1999 she was presented with the Woman of the Year Award from Soroptimists International of Saratoga County. In 2001 she received the Kathryn Starbuck Award for community service and in 2003 was honored by the Saratoga Springs Rotary Education Foundation for her commitment to education and the community. Mrs. Palamountain was a recipient of the Liberty Bell Award of the Saratoga County Bar Association and was twice honored with resolutions of the New York State Assembly. She served as board president of the Lake George Opera and as a board member for the artists' retreat Yaddo and for WMHT public television. Over the years, she was affiliated with Planned Parenthood, the Saratoga Springs League of Women Voters, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Action Council, and the National Museum of Racing. She regularly attended events supporting charities and nonprofit organizations in the Saratoga Springs region. Mrs. Palamountain is survived by two sons, Bruce K. Palamountain and Bromley C. Palamountain. Memorial contributions may be made to the Palamountain Scholarship Fund, Office of Advancement, Skidmore College, 815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.