Vassar Dedicates The Dede Thompson Bartlett Center for Admission and Career Education
Members of the Vassar community gathered on the campus on March 28 to celebrate the dedication of The Dede Thompson Bartlett Center for Admission and Career Education. Many of those who spoke described the structure as more than simply a magnificent, state-of-the-art building. They said it was a symbol of Vassar’s commitment to its students—from the time they apply for admission to helping them land their first jobs after graduation and continuing to support them on their career paths for the rest of their lives.
Speaking to an audience of more than 100 that included many of her Vassar classmates, Bartlett ’65 said she was thrilled that the students have nicknamed the building “The Dede.” She described her inspiration for the building: “I wanted to give Vassar students a full career education experience with counseling and mentoring and support that my classmates in 1965 and many other Vassar grads never had.”
She recalled the day the building’s architect, Maryann Thompson P’17, asked about her vision for the building. Bartlett pointed to the large windows that grace the structure. She said she told Thompson, “‘I want light.’ Light symbolizes hope and inspiration. Ultimately, this building isn’t just about admission and career education. It’s about creating a fulfilling life.”
Bartlett praised Stacy Bingham, Associate Dean of the College for Career Education, and her staff for the excellent work they had been doing for many years in dark, cramped dorm rooms in Main.
Bartlett lauded the many donors who contributed to the construction and programming in the new building, including her 1965 classmates and Christopher Dixon, who made a substantial donation in memory of his late wife, Barbara Saslaw Dixon ’69. He spoke at the event about her legacy and the importance of career education.
Dixon’s gift will provide funds for on- and off-campus programs, internship opportunities, professional development, networking, and career advisement, as well as bolstering staffing to support students as they embark on their career journeys. He said he hoped his gift would help students craft their own post-Vassar lives. “Each of us has a unique talent,” Dixon said. “The goal is to recognize what you’re good at and find a career path that fits.”
The celebration at The Dede Thompson Bartlett Center included a ceremony with Bartlett cutting the ribbon, amid rousing applause. The festivities continued with a luncheon at Alumnae House, where Board of Trustees Chair Sharon Chang ’84, Dean of Admission and Student Financial Services Sonya Smith, Bingham, and Vassar student Ashley Brea ’26 all spoke about Bartlett’s longtime commitment to helping Vassar students.
Chang recalled an evening in 2023 when Bartlett spoke to the Board of Trustees about her vision. “Dede, you didn’t simply inspire us, you galvanized us,” she said. “You spoke with such clarity, energy, conviction, and unmistakable force, reminding us of this fundamental truth—that a liberal arts education must do more than expand minds, it must open doors . . . And that to do this well, we needed a dedicated, integrated space—a hub where these aspirations could take root and flourish. You encouraged us to partner with you philanthropically, leading us by example and setting in motion the very reality we celebrate today.”
Smith said she and her staff have seen a marked increase in visitors lately. “Yesterday alone, more than 100 people signed up for our afternoon information session. And what was so wonderful is that the new Bartlett Center easily accommodated this volume . . . [It] is a beacon, all the while reflecting a tradition of empowerment and change-making for good—that’s the soul of Vassar, right? We are a place ripe with opportunity and where dreams can take flight. Students come in through Admission and then leave with not just a strong academic foundation but also with a community of supporters who believe in them, who uplift them ... Yes, people like you who love Vassar and are extending your legacy through them.”
Bingham recalled the day in 2020 when she and Bartlett first discussed her vision for the new building. She said Bartlett had asked her, “What are your greatest needs?”
“That simple, powerful question paved the way for a truly transformational moment,” she said. “It solidified an opportunity to invest in two critically important areas for the College: admission and career education . . . This building is a collective achievement, a tapestry of many hands and hearts, and so I extend my thanks to every individual who supported this project at any level.
“By co-locating Admission and Career Education, we are creating a ‘full circle’ experience for our students,” Bingham continued. “We are sending a clear message, from the very first day a prospective student walks into Admission, that Vassar is already thinking about life beyond these gates.”
Brea, a first-generation college student, said she felt somewhat overwhelmed when she arrived at Vassar. “If you had asked me what I wanted to do with a computer science degree, I would have said, ‘I have absolutely no clue.’” The following summer, Brea accepted an unpaid internship at Netflix, thanks to another career education project Bartlett launched more than a decade earlier—the Thompson Bartlett Fellowships for Science, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Economics, which enables students to pursue transformative opportunities for summer internships. Participating in that internship led her to land a software internship at FICO. “I walked in uncertain, but I walked out with a sense of direction that I could do this, and a full-time offer to return to FICO after graduation. Dede’s investment was transformative in ways I could not have anticipated. The fellowship did not just fund a summer. It funded the version of me standing in front of you today.”
Brea called the Bartlett Center “a grand, open, welcoming space that says ‘Your future matters. You are worth investing in.’”
Bartlett, who was involved in every step of the planning for the new building, spoke with members of the Vassar Communications staff before the dedication. A wide smile rarely left her face as she spoke about what the celebration would mean to her and her husband, Jim.
Bartlett recalled that when she served as a Visiting Fellow with the Council of Independent Colleges, on 30 college campuses across the country, she saw very few colleges with robust career education programs. She credited President Elizabeth Bradley with highlighting the importance of career education at Vassar. “Under Betsy’s leadership, career education has become first and foremost on our campus, symbolized by this beautiful building. It fulfills a dream I’ve had for decades.”
Bartlett said she was particularly proud of the fact that the building was “inspired by a woman, designed by a woman, and funded by women and the men who care about them. It will benefit all Vassar students for many years to come.”