Gary Wayne Gilbert
ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® has received an estimated $75 million gift from the estate of Joyce L. and E. Paul Robsham M. Ed. ā83āthe largest estate gift in University historyāwhich will provide funding for a range of core University priorities including student scholarships, academic programming, facilities improvements, and operation of the Robsham Theater Arts Center.
The gift builds upon the Robshamsā previous contributions to the Robsham Theater and other initiatives, placing the couple among the Universityās most generous benefactors. Before Paul Robsham passed away in 2004, he stated his wish that ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® be the major beneficiary of the coupleās estate.Ģż After his death, Joyce Robsham worked closely with her advisors, the late University Chancellor J. Donald Monan, S.J., University President William P. Leahy, S.J., and other ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® leaders to target the areas most meaningful to the couple, including psychology, theater, and student life.Ģż
Joyce and E. Paul Robsham at a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of Robsham Theater in 1991.
A key priority for the Robshams was expanding financial aid, given their belief in the power of education to change lives. Their gift establishes new undergraduate scholarships for students studying the performing arts, as well as graduate fellowships for those pursuing counseling or school psychology. Combined with their previous scholarships, the Robshams now provide financial aid for nearly 25 ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® students each year.
The Robshamsā gift also provides for major programming enhancements in psychology and theater, two disciplines that were close to Paulās heart. Included are funds for ongoing operations, repair, and upkeep of the Robsham Theater, which was named in honor of their son E. Paul Robsham, Jr., a member of the ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® class of 1986 who died in a car accident immediately following his freshman year.
In addition, the gift will fund vital training programs for both undergraduate and graduate students at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development.Ģż For undergraduates, it will help support the expansion of the practicum experience into a required component of the applied psychology and human development program, which provides the opportunities to assist students in developing the skills they need to succeed professionally.
For graduate students, the Lynch School is creating a 60-credit program for those who aspire to serve as mental health counselors in urban settings. This program will provide students with the opportunity to train together, develop close peer relationships, and make a difference in the lives of Bostonās most vulnerable populations. By supporting future mental health counselors, the Robshamsā gift will have a positive ripple effect on the patients graduate students will help during their years at ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® and throughout their careers.
The E. Paul Robsham, Jr. Theater Arts Center, dedicated in 1985. (Lee Pellegrini)
Fr. Leahy praised the Robsham gift for the transformational effect it will have on the University. āPaul and Joyce Robsham have left a lasting legacy at ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°®,ā he said. āI am grateful for their generosity over the years and its impact on generations of ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® students.ā
Robsham Estate Trustee Jack Downs said that through their support of student life, financial aid, the arts, and academics, the Robshamsā legacy will live on for generations. āWhatever assistance they could provide, they wanted to make sure it made the biggest impact possible for ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® students,ā said Downs. āAs we see their vision come to fruition, I know they would be deeply satisfied.ā
āJoyce in particular wanted to fulfill Paulās vision and to enrich the lives of students like him,ā said Patricia Davis, a longtime friend and employee of the Robshams who was named as the estateās co-trustee after Joyceās death in 2018.
High school sweethearts, the Robshams rose from humble beginnings to become prominent business owners. Paul was a successful real estate developer, and Joyce was one of the top owners in thoroughbred racing. Paul had originally enrolled in a graduate program in the early 1950s at what is now the Lynch School, but his education was cut short when he was called to serve in the Korean War. Thirty years later, he returned to ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® to complete his masterās degree and became an active alumnus, serving multiple terms as a University Trustee and growing close to then-University President J. Donald Monan, S.J.
āPaul and Joyce were true believers in the ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® missionāthey cared deeply for ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°® students and always kept their needs uppermost in their minds,ā said Vice President for University Advancement Jim Husson. āThrough their visionary gift, they will not only improve the student experience but also strengthen the University for years to come.ā
Ģż
University Communications | September 2021