For one University student, in particular, the dedication of George Read Hall had a special meaning. Meredith Elizabeth Clymer is a direct descendant of Read.

Although Clymer, who has a double major in communication and women's studies, knew of her famous ancestor, she says she did not know of his connection to UD.

Still, she says, she felt at home the minute she stepped on campus six years ago as a high school junior from East Millstone, N.J. The sense of connection was so striking that it prompted her to opt for early decision and forgo tours of other colleges, she says.

"I didn't pick Delaware knowing that George Read was affiliated with it," Clymer says now, "but I think it's a happy coincidence. I'd known that Read was an ancestor of mine and that he was only one of the six founding fathers who signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, but it wasn't until I read an article about how Read Hall got its name that I learned Read had attended the University."

Clymer, who can trace her lineage to George Read through six generations on her father's side, also is a direct descendant of George Clymer, another local founding father who signed the U.S. Constitution.

Although she says family anecdotes about the famous ancestors were kept to a minimum in her home, she does cart around a certain amount of legacy with her name.

"I was named after George Clymer's wife, Elizabeth Meredith," she says, "and that was changed to Meredith Elizabeth for me, to keep "M" as the first initial in my first name, for other family reasons."

Clymer says that, while she doesn't plan to pursue a career in either politics or law, she feels she's received more than a name from her famous ancestors in both leadership and writing abilities.

"I do feel I'm a proficient writer, and I have leadership skills," she says. "And, since I eventually hope to go into event planning, I think these assets will serve me in good stead with marketing and organizing and delegating tasks."

By logging approximately 20 hours a week at UD's Office of Admissions, Clymer already is testing some of these abilities outside the classroom. Involved with planning admissions office events that coincide with tours by prospective students, Clymer also supports the student efforts behind the VDay organization, a nonprofit, worldwide entity that distributes funds to programs that work to stop violence against women.

"It's taken me awhile to learn that Read was a student here, but I'm glad he was," Clymer, who plans to attend graduate school next year, says. "The founding fathers were great, inspired men, and I'm humbled that I can claim descendancy."