  | Robert ’63 and Charlene Butler ’79 endow a scholarship for West Greenwich High graduates. | ||||||
Profiles in GivingBy Karin Waldman Welt ’86 Robert ’63 & Charlene Butler ’79 --Well-Planned Giving Bob and Charlene Butler live in an historic 1790s farmhouse on 21 acres abutting URI’s W. Alton Jones Campus in West Greenwich. The home has been featured in The South County Times. The Butlers’ property is one of seven original Matteson farms covering 2,300 acres. The land was originally worked by subsistence farmers and was also the site of 18th century mill-based industry. The Butlers are enjoying retirement and their involvement in their community. Charlene is a trustee for the West Greenwich Land Trust, and Bob is a town councilman. Both enjoy gardening and researching West Greenwich history and family histories. Together they hike, kayak, travel, attend the theater, and spend time with family and friends. For many years Charlene was a tax partner at Ernst & Young LLP, and Bob owned a structural engineering services firm. Yet their hard-earned retirement hasn’t diminished their recall of the lean years. In fact, Bob remembers all too well juggling work and school while earning his undergraduate degree at the Colleges of Business Administration and Engineering. He knows how difficult school can be when finances are a problem. So, last year, the Butlers established the Robert Stetson Butler and Charlene Klatt Butler Endowed Scholarship for Exeter-West Greenwich High School graduates. A matching grant from Ernst & Young will bring the initial endowment to $25,000. “The planned giving team at URI has been beneficial in helping us set up the fund, and URI will be the administrator going forward,” said Charlene. “It was a very simple process to make our vision become a reality, especially with expert guidance from the University.” The first award will be given to a student in the Exeter-West Greenwich Class of 2004. Each subsequent spring, the scholarship will be awarded to a student with average academic achievement based on recommendations from the EWG Scholarship Committee. URI will make the award decisions and administer the fund. Eventually, the scholarship will provide for more than one student. Preference will be given to incoming freshmen, but the fund is intended to also be available for URI sophomores, juniors, and seniors from West Greenwich. So, why establish such specific criteria for distribution of the award? The Butlers believe that there are “plenty of scholarships out there for straight A students.” This one is for those with potential who may not be eligible for scholarships reserved for the highest ranking students. “We believe education is very important. And we want to make the way easier for someone else so it’s not as difficult for them as it was for us. This fund will assist those who will make a difference in the future,” the Butlers say. Karin Waldman Welt is a freelance writer in Providence. |
 |
