Seton Hall University on Thursday announced it received a $1 million planned gift from Robert “Bob” Wright ’67 and his wife, Helen Wright. The generous contribution is designated to provide permanent scholarship support for students in the Stillman School of Business, furthering the university’s mission to make a premier Catholic education accessible to all.
The gift serves as a major boost to For All, Forever, Seton Hall’s historic $225 million comprehensive campaign. Specifically, it supports the campaign’s top priority, Preparing Leaders Now, which focuses on expanding scholarship opportunities and removing financial barriers for deserving students.
For Bob Wright, a proud Stillman alumnus, the gift is a way to honor the institution that set the stage for his 43-year career at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he rose to become a partner.
“Seton Hall was a transitional moment in my life,” Bob Wright said. “It caused me to grow up and focus on what I wanted to do. Because of that, I was able to accomplish a great deal in my career… My Seton Hall education allowed me to do things I didn’t even think I was capable of doing.”
The Wrights have been consistent supporters of the university for over a decade. In 2013, they established the Robert E. Wright Accounting Scholarship to assist Stillman students with demonstrated financial need. This new planned gift ensures that the scholarship will be endowed in perpetuity.
“Bobby always felt a deep sense of gratitude toward Seton Hall,” added Helen Wright. “Supporting today’s students felt like a natural way to give back.”
By documenting their gift now, the Wrights also qualified for Seton Hall’s Legacy Challenge. This initiative provides an immediate cash match for new planned gifts, which will be directed toward the RISE (Resilience, Integrity, Scholarship, and Excellence) Scholarship Program.
The RISE program is a critical support system at Seton Hall, empowering:
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Low-income students
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First-generation college students
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Students utilizing disability services
With this commitment, the Wrights become members of the Benjamin Savage Society, which honors donors who include Seton Hall in their estate plans. The society is named after a university farmhand who, in 1933, left his entire life savings to the school—the first planned gift in Seton Hall’s history.
“Because of gifts like Bob and Helen’s, we’re able to plan for our future success and better serve our students who go on to enrich and empower our communities,” Monsignor Joseph Reilly, president of Seton Hall University said. “It’s really what the For All, Forever campaign is all about.”
