From the November 2009 issue of Our Moment, the UConn Foundation's e-newsletter.
The donor of a recent bequest to the William Benton Museum of Art has a unique history with the Collegiate Gothic style building that houses it—a connection that he calls “serendipitous.”
It was the 1950s when a young student was working his way through the University as a busboy at Storrs’ Central Dining Hall. The students called it “The Beanery” then. In 1967 the building became the University Art Museum, and in 1972 it was renamed the William Benton Museum of Art. Now this same student is planning a bequest of approximately $1 million to advance the Benton’s exhibitions and programming. The new benefactor wishes to remain anonymous.
The industrious son of immigrant parents, he began working at age 12 in shops in his urban neighborhood—first at the grocery store bagging potatoes and later the pharmacy as a soda jerk. Despite being what he calls “a reluctant student” and one who eschewed college prep classes in high school, he ultimately chose to attend the University of Connecticut, where he received an education of which he’s proud and for which he’s thankful.
Always a resourceful fellow, he made the most of a stint in the Army. He was stationed in northern Virginia, and spent his free evenings and weekends in the District attending art exhibitions and concerts. Upon his release from the service and with help from the GI Bill, he received his second UConn degree. Over a period of nearly four decades, he enjoyed a successful career in the insurance industry, yet always made time for pursuits that satisfied his love of the arts.
Matter-of-factly he says that his non-privileged childhood gave him little or no exposure to the finer things in life until he was well into his teenage years. Good storyteller that he is, he fondly recalls awakening to music in an appreciation course he took in high school. Similarly, an art appreciation course in college enlightened him to the world of the visual arts.
The donor would like his gift to secure for the Benton a future of expanded exhibitions and increased programming—precisely the kinds of events that he, as a man of abiding intellectual curiosity, continues to enjoy today.
For more information about supporting the William Benton Museum of Art, please contact the UConn Foundation’s development department.
