January 26, 2001

Rock ‘N Roll Supergroup The Shirelles Headline Ramapo College Foundation Benefit

Thomas W. Dunn, Gene Marie Ferguson ‘90, William E. Miller and John J. Nallin are Honorees

(Mahwah) – Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Shirelles will headline the Ramapo College Foundation’s 2001 Distinguished Citizens Dinner, to be held Saturday, March 3 at the Rockleigh Country Club. The event will honor four distinguished citizens for their leadership and commitment to higher education: Thomas W. Dunn, a partner at Beattie Padovano, LLC; Gene Marie Ferguson, a 1990 graduate of Ramapo College and a social worker at Hackensack University Medical Center; William E. Miller president and CEO at Damon G. Douglas Company, Inc.; and John J. Nallin, vice president, United Parcel Service. The annual benefit dinner raises funds for student scholarships, college programs and faculty development opportunities.

Rock and Roll’s first female super group, The Shirelles produced a string of hits including Soldier Boy, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Dedicated to the One I Love, and Mama Said. Their songs have been recorded by hundreds of artists, including The Beatles, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton and the Yardbirds, The Mamas and the Papas, Bernadette Peters and Smokey Robinson. The lasting appeal of these classic hits is so broad that they continue to be heard daily on a wide variety of radio formats and have been featured in scores of films and television shows. Not only did the
Shirelles help launch the careers of songwriters Carole King, Burt Bacharach, Ashford and Simpson and Van McCoy, they were among the first women to write their own music.

The evening will begin with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner program, entertainment and dancing. Black tie is preferred. For more information, please contact Lucille O’Connor at (201) 684-7613.