Raymond (Ray) G. Viault ’63 P’96

Raymond (Ray) G. Viault ’63 P’96 grew up on New York’s Long Island, where he attended a parochial school with 60 kids in a class. “One day my father came home and said, ‘I think Raymond should go to boarding school.’ My mother and I didn’t want this,” he says. “I wanted to stay home with my friends.” His father made him a deal: try it for one year; if you don’t like it, you can come home.

“They took me to a number of schools,” Ray says, “and Lawrenceville was the only one I wanted to attend. It’s hard to say what motivates a 14-year-old boy to choose one school over another; but after a year, you couldn’t pry me out.” He went on to earn his BA in economics from Brown University in 1967 and his MBA in marketing from Columbia University in 1969 and enjoyed a 40+-year career in consumer food products marketing—retiring as vice chairman of General Mills, Inc. following nine years in that position.

After many years of service and support, Ray and his wife Lucille became members of the John Cleve Green Society in 2008 with their gift of a deferred charitable gift annuity. “I was president of the Board for four years during the 2008 recession,” Rays says, “and, after my family, always had Lawrenceville as the #1 place to support. At the time, with our personal finances, this type of gift fit the bill. It pays us a lifetime income, and we immediately had a tax deduction. The principal ultimately reverts to Lawrenceville, so it’s a triple win—a tax deduction, income for us, then Lawrenceville benefits.”

The Viaults funded their gift with appreciated stock, which benefited them in two ways: they received a tax deduction in the year they made the gift, and they avoided the capital-gain tax on the sale of the stock. The residuum will create an unrestricted endowed fund, The Viault Fund.

When asked about his favorite memories of Lawrenceville, Ray says it is hard to narrow it down to just a few. “I was on the varsity football team, and it was supposed to be a rebuilding year,” he says. “In the previous four years the team had lost only one game. That kind of success wasn’t expected of us (after the loss of the seniors). One of the things Lawrenceville teaches you is grit. Don’t listen to people who say you can’t do something. Put your head down and do it. We won in a lot of squeakers, but we were undefeated. To this day, I believe the ’62 team had the last undefeated, untied football season in Lawrenceville history.”

Ray has remained involved with his beloved Lawrenceville by serving in a variety of roles: Trustee emeritus (2011-present); Trustee (1999-2010); Board President (2005-2009); Class Agent; Planned Giving Class Chair; Meritorious Service Award winner (2013); Reunion Committee member; and Bicentennial Campaign Steering Committee member.

Now retired, Ray and Lucille live in Jupiter, Florida, and enjoy spending time with their three children and five grandchildren. “Lawrenceville, when I went there in the late 1950s and early 1960s, was the result of the generosity of many people who came before us,” Ray says. “The John Cleve Green Foundation launched Lawrenceville on its trajectory as a top-tier school. We all have that responsibility to pass on to future generations a school that is stronger in every way. Most alums will realize after they have been out for a while what an incredible gift they had. I’m especially pleased with today’s leadership at Lawrenceville. The school is in remarkably good hands. Alumni should know that.”