The dedication of a bench in front of McGraw Hall in honor of trustee Austin H. "Kip" Kiplinger '39 was a highlight of Cornell's May 24, 2008 convocation activities, following receptions for graduates and their families on the Arts Quad. Among those gathered at the ceremony was President Emeritus Frank H.T. Rhodes, who said of the dedication, "This is a wonderful opportunity to honor Kip for a life of devotion and service to Cornell."
Kiplinger is chairman emeritus of the Cornell Board of Trustees (1984-89) and has been a trustee since 1960. He has been a presidential councillor since 1989.
Kiplinger was his class orator, giving the class oration in June 1939 from the plinth in front of the statue of Andrew Dickson White. The bench in front of McGraw Hall looks across the quad toward that spot. It is a gift from his extended family and from David Maisel '68 and his wife, Martha.