As an undergraduate, Ralph T. Perry '51 honed his amore ac
studio spirit in Bates athletics. As an alumnus, he emerged as
Bates' most generous donor.
| As an undergraduate, Ralph T. Perry '51
honed his amore ac studio spirit in Bates
athletics, earning eight varsity letters, in football, baseball and
basketball, while majoring in history. An entrepreneur, he is the
retired founder of Progressive Distributors in Winthrop, now a
subsidiary of the Hannaford Brothers grocery chain. Under Ralph's
guidance, Progressive grew from a $1 million business with 10
employees in 1967 to a $75 million business with 300 employees in
1987. During the 1990s, Ralph emerged as Bates' most generous
living donor, establishing a significant endowment to support
financial aid for Maine students and for academic programs.
His gifts have supported initiatives including the creation of the
Joan Holmes Perry '51 Atrium within Pettengill Hall, in memory of
his first wife, and the recent establishment of the Helen A.
Papaioanou, M.D. '49 Chair in the Biological Sciences. Ralph and
his wife, Mary Louise Seldenfleur, currently serve on the
leadership committee for The Campaign for Bates —
Endowing Our Values. |
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