“I do love Principia,” comments Pat Dickerman (US’30, C’34), who is quick to say how much like a family her alma mater has been to her. Pat has been generous with Principia in many ways over the years and currently is very excited about giving her home as the lead gift for the new Early Childhood Center on The Principia School campus, to replace the Acorn/Pre-School building.

“Patsy” spent her senior year of high school and four years of college at Principia on the Page and Belt campus. Following graduation and a year at home in Minnesota, she returned to Principia to take a job as secretary to Mrs. Morgan’s son Mr. Billy. She went on to serve as a housemom in Kimball Hall, and then in Howard House on the Elsah campus, where many more cherished friendships began. During summer breaks Patsy also earned a master’s degree at Columbia University in student personnel administration.

In 1945 Patsy left Principia to find a job in New York City, and changed her name to Pat after responding many times to people on the street calling “taxi.” Focused on the concept of growing and learning which Principia had taught, Pat set her sights on the travel business and how she could be of help to others. She began learning the business as a travel fashion consultant for American Express and later as publicity director for a company representing resort hotels. When she was asked to create a directory of New England farmers who would rent rooms to city folks, Pat spent a month gathering the information needed to publish a 25-cent booklet, which launched her into a whole new career. Pat become an author, publisher, travel counselor, and operator of a specialized reservation service that would shape people’s dreams into adventure travel itineraries.

Pat Dickerman’s Farm, Ranch and Country Vacations in America, published in 1949, and her book on Adventure Travel in North America, published in 1972, were steady sellers for years and can still be found on Amazon.com. The New York Times referred to Pat as being among “the most knowledgeable people in the country on farms and guest ranches.” A 1988 Robb Report article states, “As much as anyone, Pat Dickerman created large chunks of the domestic travel industry.”

Pat was one of the first travel consultants to plan adventures like rafting down the Grand Canyon and other western rivers, riding on a cattle drive, and taking a trip in a covered wagon. In 1986 Pat published Adventure Travel Abroad and began planning unique vacations such as exploring Peru and canoeing the Amazon; bicycling in Mongolia; vanning across Tibet; and journeying through southern China by bicycle, boat, and train.

“Eventually I had a marvelous office in a small building on 57th Street between Park and Madison, which for my last 30 years in New York was an easy five-block commute from my home on East 57th Street. I took the top floor knowing I could sublet half of it. [continued]