New $2 million Endowed Faculty Chair to support student opportunities

New $2 million Endowed Faculty Chair to support student opportunities

October 30, 2024

Harold Perry's generosity to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and general passion for education are large parts of the legacy he built after graduating from the university in 1933.

Of the many contributions of time and resources Perry (pictured above, at right) bestowed upon numerous organizations, it was the fund established in 1974 at UW-Whitewater - the Harold M. Perry and Margaret A. Perry Scholarship Fund - that meant the most, according to his son, Mark Perry (pictured above, at left).

The initial $10,000 gift to create the scholarship fund was made from the foundation at the CIT Group, Harold's longtime employer, upon his request at the time of his retirement and renamed to include his wife, Margaret, in 1992.

"He very much valued education," Mark said. "I know how much UW-Whitewater meant to him."

Harold is also the namesake for the Harold M. Perry '33 and Margaret A. Perry Endowed Faculty Chair, a new $2 million gift that will support a selected UW-Whitewater faculty member or members to tackle complex issues, develop long-term solutions, and positively affect Wisconsin's economy and student success.

"This Endowed Chair is a reflection of Harold's passion for education and remarkable leadership and career," said Katie Kuznacic, vice chancellor for university relations and UW-Whitewater Foundation president.

"This gift provides invaluable support for UW-Whitewater's economic impact and student success for years to come. I'd like to thank Mark and his wife, Mauree Jane, and their entire family for their support of our mission and for continuing Harold's legacy in a way that will significantly impact our campus community and our region."

The position will align with the university's mission to address timely workforce solutions through undergraduate degree attainment, especially in K-12 education and for the support of first-generation college students and students re-enrolling at the university after taking time away.

"I like the fact that such a high percentage of UW-Whitewater's students are the first in their families to go to college," Mark said. "That's an important part of education for democracy."

Harold Perry grew up in Freeport, Illinois, and started his undergraduate career at the University of Illinois before transferring to UW-Whitewater in 1928.

Pictured, right: Harold Perry during his senior year, 1932-33, as printed in Minneiska, the UW-Whitewater yearbook from 1909-1991.

On campus, he kept busy while pursuing a degree in business education. He was a member of the Warhawk football and men's basketball teams and wrote for The Royal Purple.

After three years on campus, Perry ran low on money to pay for his education and stepped away in the fall of 1931 to manage a road construction crew in Illinois full time. It was a job he had started working prior to the Great Depression while attending school.

With enough funding in place to continue his education, he returned to UW-Whitewater in the spring of 1932.

Perry graduated from UW-Whitewater in 1933 as a four-year letterwinner in both football and men's basketball. That same year, he married Margaret and started his career as a high school business teacher and coach - first in Galena, Illinois, and then in Elgin, Illinois. He earned his master's degree from the University of Iowa in 1938 and a doctorate in business from New York University in 1946 while holding faculty positions at Kansas State University, NYU and Connecticut College in New Britain, Connecticut.

During World War II, Perry entered the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a special agent and held offices in San Antonio, Texas, and New York City. He returned to New Britain following the war and worked with the State Commissioner of Education.

In 1948, he left education and started a career in business. He initially worked with Colgate Palmolive Co. before transitioning to CIT Financial Corporation in New York, now known as CIT Group, where he spent the final 22 years of his professional career as director of personnel and, eventually, vice president of administration.

He was inducted into the Warhawk Athletics Hall of Fame in 1973 and retired in 1974, when he moved with Margaret to Bradenton, Florida.

Pictured, right: Harold Perry as he appeared in the 1931 Minneiska, the UW-Whitewater yearbook from 1909-91. Perry was a four-year letterwinner in both football and men's basketball.

Perry was highly engaged in the community throughout his career and in retirement. He served as president of the YMCA in Summit, New Jersey, and as president at each of his golf clubs in Summit and Bradenton. He was also elected president of The Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI.

Through all his experiences, one thing remained consistent - his focus on doing the right thing.

"He had a really clear moral compass," Mark said. "That was always a part of his life. He never struggled with it. If it meant giving something up, it didn't matter. He just lived that way. He made that clear to me by 'walking his talk,' a valuable gift from father to son."

Margaret passed away in 1993, and Perry died three years later at the age of 87. Memorials supported the scholarship fund he had established at UW-Whitewater more than two decades earlier.

Mark and Mauree Jane Perry currently reside in San Francisco. Mark has been retired for 10 years following a 45-year career in Silicon Valley in finance, operations, and venture capital. He continues his father's legacy of community service - he has served on the board of a public media station in the Bay Area for 15 years and was on the board of the Conservancy that supports the San Francisco Bay Area national parks for 12 years.

Mark intends to visit the Whitewater campus soon with his daughter, Elise.

The Harold M. Perry '1933 and Margaret A. Perry Endowed Faculty Chair application process will begin in spring 2025.

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