An outpouring of generosity following the death of former College President Rev. Philip A. Smith, O.P. ’63 on November 4, 2007, has brought a major infusion of donations to a scholarship fund established in his honor.

As of the first week of January, 43 donors had contributed $33,720 to the Rev. Philip A. Smith, O.P. Scholarship Fund, including one $10,000 gift from a business. The fund’s initial goal is to reach $50,000, which is the amount needed to endow it. An endowed scholarship fund is funded primarily by income derived from investing the principal.
 
The Rev. Philip A. Smith, O.P. Scholarship Fund will provide scholarship support on the basis of financial need and academic merit with preference given to students who are the first in their family to attend college.

“The many gifts made to Father Smith’s scholarship fund are a fitting tribute to a leader who had such a meaningful impact on the lives of Providence College students,” said Edward Chiu, associate vice president for institutional advancement.

Father Smith served as the College’s 11th president from 1994-2005. He was serving as a professor of philosophy at PC at the time of his death. “He left this place a much stronger institution than when he entered,” said current College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80 during his Mass of Christian Burial on November 9 in St. Dominic Chapel.

An editorial two days later in The Providence Journal said that Father Smith was a major reason PC has extended its national reputation in the past decade.

To make a donation to the Rev. Philip A. Smith, O.P. Scholarship Fund, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at (401) 865-1296 or give online at www.givetopc.org.