On Friday, October 25, Bryant University celebrated the Founding Members of its new Jacobs Society, which recognizes those benefactors who have contributed $1 million or more to the university. The 63 honorees are Bryant’s most esteemed and celebrated philanthropic leaders, and their collective investments have accelerated the university’s growth, charting a course for its future.

“Through the power of philanthropy, the vision and leadership of the Jacobs Society’s Founding Members have allowed Bryant to take bold strides forward, shaping the success of our students and the future of Bryant University for generations to come,” says Bryant President Ross Gittell, Ph.D. “The Jacobs Society has laid the foundation for others to follow and build upon.”

With their collective philanthropic investments, the Founding Members of the Jacobs Society have transformed every aspect of Bryant. Included in the group are undergraduate and graduate school alumni, parents, honorary degree recipients, and friends of the university. 

“As Bryant embarks on a new era of transformative change through its Vision 2030 Strategic Plan, we took this moment to recognize and celebrate the Founding Members of the Jacobs Society, who have invested in our university for generations and led us where we are today,” says David Wegrzyn ’86, P’23, Vice President for University Advancement. “Their gifts have made transformational change throughout the history of Bryant University.”

At the inaugural Jacobs Society ceremony, inductees were joined by select guests for a memorable celebration in the Quinlan/Brown Academic Innovation Center’s Janikies Innovation Forum on the university’s Smithfield campus.

“The Jacobs Society Founding Members’ extraordinary commitment of resources have provided a powerful foundation on which Bryant will build its future.” - David Wegrzyn ’86, P’23

The Jacobs Society is named in recognition of Dr. Henry L. Jacobs, who is known as the “Father of Bryant University.” During his 45-year tenure as Bryant’s president, Jacobs made innovative leadership decisions that would shape the history of the institution for generations to come. He successfully navigated Bryant through the Great Depression, two world wars and the Korean War, and the immense transformations in American society and business that took place in the first half of the 20th century. 

With the Vision 2030 Strategic Plan charting the course for Bryant’s next evolution, including through the watershed campus expansion made possible by the addition of the Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center (BELC) through a generous gift of 100 Salem Street from Fidelity Investments, the university chose to establish the Jacobs Society to honor the dedicated philanthropic leaders who have laid the foundation for what comes next. The university will continue to welcome new members into the Jacobs Society when their contributions to Bryant reach or exceed $1 million. 

“The Jacobs Society Founding Members’ extraordinary commitment of resources have provided a powerful foundation on which Bryant will build its future,” says Wegrzyn. “The university is deeply grateful for their generosity.”