History of the OLAA
Like so much about School that starts with a few OLs talking, the thought of creating a US based tax-exempt organization took place around 1998 when Arjun Rajaratnam (SUM ’76) and N. Ranthi Dev (SUM ’67) were chatting on the phone. The subject was LSL and the great times that we had in the years that we spent there. We both felt that School had given us the foundation that helped us to launch our very successful careers. Our thoughts drifted to ideas about what we could to “give something back” to the School.
We knew that School was under-funded (at that time) and its sole source of income was the tuition fees paid by students. Them School did not receive any other funds, that offered some financial flexibility, to be put to good use for the welfare of students and other stakeholders in the School. We also felt that so many other OLs must feel the same and would like the creation of a vehicle to give back.
Arjun and I were both living in the United States and working for the same company. We were both aware that the US Tax Code had provisions where individuals paying taxes in the US could benefit with a tax deduction, from contributions that were made to an educational institution. We decided to explore this option, and we hired a lawyer in Washington D.C in 1998 to start the lengthy process to register a 501(c3) charity in the US. This charity would receive contributions/donations that could then be sent directly to LSL and give the donors a tax deduction. Originally named the North American Lawrence School Association, the US tax authorities (IRS) finally approved our application after a volley of queries and responses, and the Old Lawrencian Association Americas (OLAA) was finally born in 2002.
Over the next twenty-plus years, largely by word of mouth, OLs living in the US found out about this avenue to make donations to the LSL. Soon, in addition to individual contributions, gifts to commemorate milestone events like a silver anniversary or a 40th year batch contribution were made by alumni living in the US. Funds were regularly transferred to the LSL’s bank account in India and used by the school in conformance with the donor’s request.
In 2022, Ranthi and Arjun started talking about transitioning responsibilities for managing the OLAA to a younger group of OLs in the US. In April 2022, Ranthi met Kumar Krishnan (VIN 85) at a reunion in Atlanta. In course of conversation, Ranthi found that Kumar shared the same emotions for School and the spirit to giving back to School, that originally lead to the creation of OLAA. Kumar was very keen on helping supporting School related activities in the US. As an energy consultant and successful entrepreneur, Kumar had the infrastructure and experience to manage such an organization. He readily agreed to take on the responsibilities of running the OLAA when Ranthi approached him. Under Kumar’s guidance and leadership, the OLAA is now is more evolved and improved in terms of management processes and is ready for the next chapter. Kumar’s efforts to improve the OLAA’s visibility among the OL community in the US and broadening the avenues for OLs wanting to contribute to LSL, bode well for the future.
Arjun & Ranthi