The new University of Massachusetts School of Law at the Dartmouth campus received its first major private scholarship gift on July 1, the same day that the school officially accepted a $23 million donation of facility, land and cash assets from the former Southern New England School of Law.
UMass Lowell alumnus and former UMass Trustee Charles J. Hoff (’66) made the gift of $210,000 to support UMass graduates who want to attend law school and pursue public interest-related law. The gift brings the Hoff Family’s lifetime commitment to the University to more than $6 million and, with matching funds included, builds on the $10 million Charles J. Hoff Scholarship program that benefits more than 150 students on all five UMass campuses each year. The Hoff Scholarship Program is the largest privately initiated scholarship program in the University’s history.
“Once again, the Hoff Family is making a tangible and transformative investment in UMass students,” said UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack. “This donation will make it possible for 10 students per year to pursue their law school aspirations and then use their UMass Law degrees to serve their communities.”
Hoff said this latest gift is indicative of “the value that I place on my own UMass education and my belief that UMass Law offers a wonderful opportunity for highly motivated, disadvantaged students from all walks of life to pursue their educational and professional goals. I firmly believe that education is the key to upward mobility and quality of life, especially for individuals who hail from a modest upbringing. The establishment of UMass Law this year is another major milestone in the evolution of the Commonwealth’s world class university.”
Hoff, a 1966 graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell College of Management, is a highly successful entrepreneur. He received his bachelor’s degree in industrial management and later earned a master’s degree from Northeastern University.
In 2008, President Wilson presented Hoff with the University’s highest honor – the University of Massachusetts President’s Medal. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Massachusetts from 1993 to 2002 and also served on the University of Massachusetts Foundation Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees of UMass Memorial Health Care, Inc.
