University of Delaware Office of Public Relations The Messenger Vol. 5, No. 4/1996 Alumni open doors for scholarships A decade ago, the College of Human Resources Alumni Association began holding area house tours to raise scholarship money for UD students. Today, the tour is a bustling, busy half-day when participants get a chance to step inside some of the area's most special homes amd see the furnishings and decorating styles. What began as a one-woman effort by Henri Wright, Delaware '48, has evolved into a highly organized event, with written guidelines that spell out activities for various committee chairpersons, who change from year to year. It's profitable, too. This year's tour generated more than $3,700 in support of scholarships. In all, $30,000 has been raised. Choosing houses for the tour is a fun job, says Gladys Helm, Delaware '41, who has anchored the project for several years. Committee members look for homes that are outstanding in some way-through the owners' collections, the structure's architecture or historic value or the landscaping of the grounds. "We look for expression of lifestyle, creativity," Mimi Haggarty, Delaware '64, one of the chairpersons of the 1997 tour, says. A theme for each tour seems to naturally evolve as people agree to have their homes shown. Sometimes, the theme is historical; other times, it is a mixture of historical and contemporary. Organizers try to find two or three houses in one area for the convenience of tour-goers. Co-chairing this year's committee with Haggarty will be Marge Cann, Delaware '54. Also active on the committee over the years is Bette Todd, a retired faculty member from the College of Human Resources. -Beth Thomas