President Sterritt says the former trustee and business leader’s gift represents a clear signal of faith in Saint Michael's College and the career outcomes of a liberal arts degree
Vermont Business Magazine Class of 1967 alumnus and longtime Trustee Barry Roy bequeathed $4 million to Saint Michael’s College through his estate, the largest single gift in the school’s 117-year history, college officials announced today.
A larger-than-life figure on campus and within New England philanthropic circles, Roy died on August 9, 2019 at the age of 73.
Barry Roy, Saint Michael’s College
“When I first met Barry, he immediately struck me as someone who had a giant heart of gold,” said Saint Michael’s President Lorraine Sterritt. “That first impression was absolutely correct. We quickly became close friends. He was devoted heart and soul to the College. As someone who came from humble circumstances himself, he made it his mission to help students and to help the College that had equipped him so well for his career, a classic case of paying it forward.”
Roy’s gift was announced this week by President Sterritt and Vice President for Institutional Advancement Krystyna Davenport Brown. Roy designated the gift as follows:
- $750,000 to the newly established Emery and Bernice Roy Endowed Scholarship Fund, in memory of Barry’s parents, which will provide annual, need-based aid, with preferential consideration to underrepresented minority students and applicants
- $1.2 million (approximately) to The Class of 1967 Endowed Scholarship Fund, providing need-based, unrestricted scholarship aid to Saint Michael’s students
- $2 million (approximately) to the unrestricted Saint Michael’s Fund, used by the President and Board of Trustees for strategic future investment.
The portion of Barry’s gift honoring his parents signals his commitment to expanding opportunities—especially at Saint Michael’s—for students of color. Barry’s commitment to the social justice mission of the College will live on by enhancing the College’s ability to recruit students of color and by supporting the many students whose education will be impacted by this fund.
The $4 million posthumous gift brings Roy’s giving to Saint Michael’s to more than $4.5 million.
A central gathering place on campus, The Roy Event Room, was named for him in 2013. His generosity will have a tremendous impact on Saint Michael’s programs, students, and financial future.
“Barry strongly supported our new programs in health-related fields, which are more vital now than ever,” explained Sterritt. “It is gratifying to realize that as a member of the Board, Barry had faith in the leadership of the College and understood the importance of both scholarships and unrestricted funds to ensure a bright future for the College that he loved so dearly. While I am heartbroken by his passing, I am deeply touched by his extraordinary generosity.”
Davenport Brown said Roy’s major gift “is not only a testimony to the love that Barry held for Saint Michael’s, but also a catalyst for the $10 million All in for St. Mike’s campaign that is currently under way to support our most pressing needs. Barry’s volunteerism, philanthropy, and support for the school is a lasting legacy. His tremendous gift will have a profound impact on the next generation of Saint Michael’s students.”
About Saint Michael’s College
Saint Michael’s College, founded in the great Catholic intellectual tradition, which also recognizes the principles of social justice and compassion, is a selective, fully residential Catholic college in Vermont’s beautiful Green Mountains. Our closely connected community delivers internationally-respected liberal arts and graduate education near Burlington, one of the country’s best college towns. To prepare for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives, young adults here grow intellectually, socially, and morally, learning to be responsible for themselves, each other and their world.
Source: COLCHESTER, VT -- Saint Michael’s College 1.15.2021