The acquisition of historic colonial furnishings and fine art

The Marguerite and Frederick Rohlfs Fund is administered by The Bell, which maintains a collection of more than 7,000 works of art dating from the 16th century to the present.
Funded by Marguerite Rohlfs (Class of 1928) and Frederic Rohlfs (Class of 1926)

The rhythm of campus life, from competitive ballroom dancing to guest choreographers

The Sue E. Perlmutter Fund for Dance supports the engagement of guest artists for the Brown dance program, including visiting choreographers, dancers, and musicians.
Funded by Ernest Rubenstein

The development of library collections, ensuring Brown students have the resources necessary to reach their full potential

Patricia Hendrickson ’52, P’80, PAM’88 PhD’08 established The Elise Lea MacBride Memorial Book Fund in 1992 in honor of her mother, and continued to support the book fund, which helps Brown’s library purchase materials, during her lifetime as well as through a bequest in her estate.
Funded by Patricia Hendrickson ’52, P’80, PAM’88 PhD’08

Celebrating the work and mentorship of a professor

As first-generation college graduates, Lea Anne Hikokawa Ng ’82 and Joseph Ng both deeply appreciate the power of education. 

“We believe that our colleges gave us the opportunity to get us to where we are today,” said Lea Anne. “It’s important for us to give back because of that.”

While their gratitude has always driven them to give back, recently the Ngs decided to take their philanthropy to a new level by incorporating Brown into their estate plans. Knowing that their grown children were independently thriving, the Ngs realized they had a chance to leave a legacy within education. 

And, through their gift, they found a way to not only build a legacy, but also honor a professor whose work and mentorship have meant a great deal to them: Evelyn Hu-DeHart. 

“We want to remember her and what she has done for us,” said Lea Anne. “She had a big impact on helping Joseph achieve his dream.”

Read Lea Anne and Joseph’s story

Honoring hard work and the enduring bonds between friends

Siblings Elizabeth (“Betty”) and Simon Dermuksian deeply admired their friend Warren Alpert’s generous gift to Brown’s medical school. It inspired them to document a transformative planned gift of their own: the Vahan, Vartoohe, Elizabeth and Simon Dermuksian Memorial Scholarship Fund, which supports students attending what is now known as The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

The Dermuksian family owned and operated the Major Oil gas station on Reservoir Avenue in Cranston, Rhode Island, and they were among Warren Alpert’s very first clients. The connection between the Dermuksians and the Alperts went deeper, however: both Simon and Warren served in the United States Army during World War II, worked in the oil business, and shared the experience of being raised by immigrant parents who believed in hard work, sacrifice, and sharing their good fortune.

For the Dermuksians, these values were lived out every day. Alongside their father, Vahan — one of the namesakes of the siblings’ scholarship fund — Betty and Simon spent long days pumping gas, cleaning windshields, putting air in tires, and chatting with their customers. Nights and weekends were dedicated to working on their apple orchard in western Cranston. The Dermuksians shared their apple harvest so widely that their farm became a weekend gathering place for local families, while a significant portion of the apples went directly to Rhode Island food banks.

Since neither Betty nor Simon married or had children, they chose to direct their estate toward a meaningful cause that honored their beloved parents, Vartoohe and Vahan, and continue their family’s legacy of sharing their good fortune. Much like Warren Alpert, Betty and Simon wanted to help find cures to diseases and enable mankind to live a better life, and they ultimately decided that a medical scholarship at Brown would fulfill all of their goals. Today, the Dermuksians’ extraordinary bequest is poised to enable more than 50 aspiring doctors every year to access a world-class medical education and, in turn, impact the lives of countless patients around the world.

If you are interested in designating your future support toward an area that is meaningful to you, we would be honored to assist you in that process.