STUDENT SUPPORT FUND NAMED FOR THE LATE GREAT HERBERT KURZ

unnamed (1)A special fund to support disadvantaged students at Rockland Community College was renamed the Herbert Kurz President’s Student Support Fund by the College’s Board of Trustees on November 19, 2014. Mr. Kurz, a businessman, philanthropist and major benefactor for RCC since 2010, died shortly thereafter on November 24, 2014 at the age of 94.

Through the Kurz Family Foundation, Herbert Kurz and his wife Edythe, who died in 2010, supported a wide range of causes in the arts, health care, social justice, and education.

The Kurz’s generous gifts to Rockland Community College provided financial assistance to numerous students who would otherwise not have had the opportunity to pursue higher education. The Student Support Fund assists students struggling to cover the costs of tuition, textbooks, lab fees, child care and other educational expenses.

Kurz founded the Presidential Life Insurance company in 1965, headquartered in downtown Nyack. A September 1991 New York Times article abou Kurz stated, “The 71-year-old Mr. Kurz… founded Presidential 25 years ago and almost singlehandedly built it into one of the country’s larger life insurers.”

He remained active at the company until 2009 at the age of 89. In addition to his philanthropy and business exploits Kurz was known for his lifetime advocacy of trade unions, civil rights and left-leaning causes.

The Kurz family has designated the Herb Kurz President’s Student Support Fund at RCC for memorial donations. The Fund can be accessed at the College’s website, www.sunyrockland.edu and clicking on the SupportRCC button on the top right.

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