Private Donations To Public Universities Still Occur and Are Still Necessary

Rhode Island College received a $5.1 million dollar gift from Helen Forman, a 1934 graduate of what was then the Rhode Island School of Education, who died last year at the age of 93. Forman wanted her small fortune to provide scholarships for students at RIC. Forman was a special education teacher and taught every grade. She and her husband invested well over the years and the $5.1 million dollar gift is proof of that.

After the death of her husband, Forman made her first large gift to RIC - $250,000 to complete the costs for renovating a new admissions office which is named for Forman's husband.

Forman's fortune will provide endowed scholarships for the Department of Music,Theatre and Dance. Forman had spent many years attending every musical, theatrical and dance performance at her beloved alma mater.

RIC was pleased to accept the gift and make the following comment:

“This is an extraordinary gift,” said Marguerite M. Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island College Foundation, which manages — including Forman’s gift — about $17 million in private financial gifts for the school. “This is important for public higher education because it reminds us that private support is needed for public higher education, and it can happen.”