Richard White ’42: ‘I Felt There Was a Need’

8/8/2007

Adding to a lifetime of loyal support, Richard White ’42 has made a significant gift to the athletics and events center. Six decades after graduating from the College, he continues to support Ithaca.

Richard White ’42 went straight from the playing fields at Ithaca College to the battlefields of the South Pacific. A left guard for the Bombers football team during his college days, he joined the U.S. Marines following graduation and spent the next three years fighting in World War II.

Although he studied to become a physical education teacher while at Ithaca, he never actually had his chance to teach. Instead, as often happens, circumstances led him in another direction—first a four-year stint as a Marine, then a vice presidency with Highway Materials Co., then to Cooperstown, where he became a partner in the Bruce Hall Corp., a hardware and building supply company. Richard was good at his job and stayed with the company for 40 years, eventually becoming president. He remained president until he retired in 1989. He continues to be associated with the Northeast Treaters’ Co. Inc. in Velchertown, Massachusetts.

Still, while his Ithaca College education didn’t lead directly to his business success, he was grateful for the education he received. “My experience at Ithaca did me a lot of good,” he said, adding that he got not only a strong grounding in the liberal arts, but that he learned to “get along with people,” something that contributed to his success as a salesman and business owner. He also made friends with whom he remained in contact for many years.

Richard recently made a significant gift to the athletics and events center. When asked why, he responded with characteristic modesty, saying only: “I’ve always contributed in a small way to the athletics department, and when this came up, I thought it sounded like a good idea. I was in a position to do it, and I felt there was a need.”