The St. Mary’s College of Maryland Board of Trustees presented its highest honor, the Order of the Ark and Dove, to Professor Emeritus Donald R. Stabile and Trustee Emerita Gail Harmon during a board dinner on Oct. 10, 2025, at the Nancy R. and Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center.
Board Chair John J. Bell, class of 1995, announced the awards, stating, “Tonight, we have the joy of honoring Professor Emeritus of the College Don Stabile and Trustee Emerita and former Board Chair Gail Harmon with the College’s highest distinction, the Order of the Ark and Dove, recognizing their extraordinary contributions of time, talent and treasure in support of our mission and our students.”
The Order of the Ark and Dove recognizes individuals for distinguished service to the college, regardless of financial contributions. Established in 1972 by then-President Renwick Jackson, the award draws its name from the ships that carried Maryland’s first settlers to St. Mary’s City in 1634. Recipients receive a citation and a 3-inch bronze medallion during induction ceremonies. Past honorees include former Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening in 2002, U.S. Sen. Benjamin C. Bradlee in 2000, and former Gov. William Donald Schaefer in 2007, underscoring the award’s prestige among state leaders and community figures.
Stabile, who joined the economics faculty in 1980, spent more than 40 years teaching courses on behavioral economics, markets versus morals, and the history of economic thought. He earned a B.S. in economics from the University of Florida in 1966, an M.A. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1972, and a Ph.D. from the same institution in 1979. Named an honorary alumnus in 2004 and professor emeritus in 2024, Stabile chaired the economics department for two terms and served two terms as associate provost.
His support for students extended beyond the classroom. Stabile founded the Don Stabile Scholars program in 2013 to aid recruitment and retention, the Ho Nguyen Scholarship for Study in Asia in 2008, the Don Stabile Doctoral Alumni Scholarship and the Andy Kozak Faculty Contribution to Student Life Award in 2011, the Alumni Postgraduate Scholarship in 2013, and the Norton T. Dodge Award for Scholarly and Creative Achievement for Junior Faculty in 2023. He also created and advised a student investment club, volunteered for Giving Tuesday drives, sat on the Taking the LEAD Campaign Steering Committee, and recently launched a fundraising push to update residence halls.
Stabile’s scholarly output includes 10 authored books, two co-authored works, 18 journal articles, and more than 100 book reviews. His 2009 book, The Living Wage: Lessons from the History of Economic Thought, explores debates from Adam Smith to modern economists on fair compensation, emphasizing moral economics over pure market forces. In 2025, he co-authored Apprenticeship of Warren Buffett: The Inside Story of Warren Buffett and the Dodge Family Partnerships with SMCM Foundation Director Blu Putnam, directing royalties to the Dodge Performing Arts Center.
Harmon, a retired founding partner at Harmon Curran in Washington, D.C., specialized in nonprofit and tax-exempt law over four decades. She advised progressive foundations, lobbying groups, and political action committees on federal tax and election laws, formed hundreds of such organizations, and co-founded EMILY’S List. Recognized by the American Bar Association as a women trailblazer in law, Harmon chaired the board of Population Services International for over 15 years.
She joined the SMCM Board of Trustees in 2007, chaired it from 2013 to 2016, and contributed to committees on governance and institutional advancement. Harmon advised presidents, senior leaders, and the campus on strategic growth aligned with the college’s mission. Her 25 years of philanthropy supported the Center for the Study of Democracy, environmental studies, student internships, and scholarships, both endowed and for current use. She backed the Heritage Campaign and Capital Campaign Challenge, which funded the Jamie L. Roberts Stadium and Dodge Performing Arts Center, and served on the Taking the LEAD steering committee. Harmon created the Harmon Fund for Faculty Innovation, and the Anne Arundel Hall Courtyard honors her name.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland, located on a 319-acre waterfront campus in historic St. Mary’s City, holds deep ties to Southern Maryland’s past and present. Founded in 1846 as St. Mary’s Female Seminary on land settled by the Yaocomaco people and later by English colonists in 1634, it began as an affordable option for women’s education, with state funding from 1868 covering half the students from every county and Baltimore. Post-Civil War growth led to expansions, though challenges like a 1924 fire and a 1947 dissolution threat tested its resilience, overcome by community and alumnae efforts.
By 1927, it became Maryland’s first junior college, evolving to a four-year baccalaureate institution in 1967 and the state’s public honors college in 1992. With just 11 presidents from 1900 to 2013, including current President Rhonda Phillips since 2025, the college maintains stability while offering elite liberal arts education. Its honors designation attracts top students to Southern Maryland, a region with roots in colonial governance and civil rights advancements, providing local access to rigorous academics without relocation costs.
Honors like the Order of the Ark and Dove highlight how dedicated individuals sustain this role, fostering educational opportunities amid Southern Maryland’s blend of rural heritage and growing communities. Stabile and Harmon’s recognitions join a lineage of service that has preserved the institution through economic shifts and state priorities, ensuring its place as a monument to the region’s commitment to learning.
