The late Peter D.Pruden Jr. of Suffolk, Va., and his wife, Phyllis S. Pruden,have made a $454,344 gift that will be added to a scholarshipthey endowed in 2002.
Peter Pruden, who worked in the meat processing industry,attended ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ from 1937 to 1938 and left the college to workin the family business and later served in the Air Forceduring World War II. Phyllis Pruden is a retired teacher anda 1945 graduate of the University of North Carolina at ChapelHill.
Dedicated philanthropists, Peter and Phyllis have beengenerous supporters of the arts and medical community inSuffolk. They have also made more than a dozen major gifts tocolleges and universities in Virginia and North Carolina.
The couple felt that endowing the Pruden Scholarship wouldensure that future generations would enjoy the advantages ofan ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ education.
“Peter and I felt that it was important to share andto give back to those who are less fortunate, especiallystudents,” Phyllis Pruden says.
This is the university’s second gift from the Prudens.In 2002, the couple gave $100,000 to ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ to establish thePeter D. Pruden and Phyllis S. Pruden Scholarship. Thescholarship assists ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ students studying businessadministration, economics or accounting.
The most recent gift has been added to the scholarship fund.When fully funded, the scholarship will be one ofºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s largest at close to $1 million.