SYRACUSE — The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) says it has received a $2.4 million donation from the estate of an alumnus, the largest cash gift the 103-year-old college has ever received.
The gift from the estate of Raymond M. and Rita J. Smith of Tonawanda, near Buffalo, will be used to fund student scholarships, primarily for students from Western New York, according to ESF. Raymond Smith was a member of the college’s Class of 1952.
“He felt that understanding of the environment and its conservation is very important to our quality of life, and that is a mission of ESF,” Kevin Smith of Syracuse — Raymond Smith’s nephew and a member of ESF’s Class of 1980 — said in a news release. “Another key factor for Uncle Ray’s generous gift was that he was very grateful to have been given the opportunity to attend college and he wanted to give other people with financial need that same opportunity.”
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Raymond Smith, who died in September 2012, studied forestry at ESF. He worked his entire career at Davey Expert Tree Co., a national tree service business, where he was first employed at the age of 16, according to the release. When he retired more than 40 years later, Smith had moved up to the position of regional vice president.
“He helped build a business that became a national company,” Brenda Greenfield, executive director of the ESF College Foundation, Inc., said in the release.
Smith’s gifts to ESF over the years total about $2.65 million, according to the college.
“With the funds that will be generated by his endowment in years to come, we could offer an additional 100 students $1,000 each in support. That’s a significant percentage of our students,” Greenfield said. ESF has about 1,750 undergraduate students.
Raymond Smith grew up in Medina, northeast of Buffalo. After graduating from Medina High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, was trained as a paratrooper and served during World War II, the release noted. Kevin Smith said his uncle was one of five children, and that he was able to attend college because of his G.I. benefits.
“Without this opportunity Uncle Ray felt that he would never have had the career that he had with Davey Tree,” the nephew said.
Raymond Smith remained active in ESF alumni affairs and attended the 2011 “Green Tie Dinner,” celebrating the college’s centennial, with his nephew in July 2011.
Raymond Smith was named New York State Distinguished Arborist in 1988, ESF said. He died at the age of 84. Rita Smith, his wife of 42 years, died in 1996.
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