Seton Hall University has announced a $1 million planned gift from Helen A. Wright and Robert E. “Bob” Wright, a 1967 graduate of the university. The donation will support scholarships for students at the Stillman School of Business and contribute to Seton Hall’s ongoing $225 million comprehensive fundraising campaign, For All, Forever.
The Wrights have a history of supporting Seton Hall students. In 2013, they established the Robert E. Wright Accounting Scholarship for Stillman School students with financial need. The new planned gift will endow this scholarship in perpetuity through their estate plans.
“Seton Hall was a transitional moment in my life,” said Bob Wright. “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.”
Helen Wright added, “Bobby always felt a deep sense of gratitude toward Seton Hall. It was a great experience for him, and supporting today’s students felt like a natural way to give back.”
The couple met as teenagers during summers in Breezy Point, Queens, and married after Bob completed his military service in 1968. Although Helen attended Molloy College, she participated in significant events at Seton Hall alongside Bob.
Bob Wright worked for 43 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers after graduating from Seton Hall. He recalled attending an intensive training program at Drew University with a roommate who graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. “I thought, ‘This is who I have to compete with?’ But we both ended up making partner together. My Seton Hall education allowed me to do things I didn’t even think I was capable of doing,” he said.
After moving several times across the country and abroad during Bob’s career, the couple retired near Charleston, South Carolina.
Monsignor Joseph Reilly, president of Seton Hall University, commented on the impact of gifts like this: “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. It’s really what the For All, Forever campaign is all about.”
The Wrights are now members of Seton Hall’s Benjamin Savage Society for donors who include the university or its seminary school in their estate plans.
Their contribution also qualifies them for Seton Hall’s Legacy Challenge program. This initiative provides immediate matching funds for newly documented planned gifts and increases support for programs such as RISE (Resilience, Integrity, Scholarship and Excellence), which helps low-income students, first-generation college attendees, and those using disability services.
Jon Paparsenos, vice president of university advancement at Seton Hall University stated: “Planned giving is a great way to make a difference for students today while also creating a lasting legacy for the future.”
Reflecting on their decision to donate through estate planning after more than four decades supporting Seton Hall, Bob Wright said: “I get tax benefits by designating part of my 401(k) to Seton Hall, and I get to give back to the school that gave me everything… It makes me proud.”
