06-03-2025
St. Lawrence University lands $1.5M grant for middle-class students
CANTON, N.Y. (WWTI) – St. Lawrence University has announced that the Edward John Noble Foundation has given the university a $1.5 million contribution to establish a comprehensive scholarship for middle-class students from the North Country.
Noble Smith '71, the head of the Foundation and grandson of the late Edward John Noble, and his wife, Maribeth, established the Anthony and Constance Soupios P'71 Scholarship in honor of the late parents of Michael Soupios '71, a close friend Smith met at St. Lawrence. The scholarship provides a loan-free financial aid package for up to four years of study, which includes full tuition, room & board, and student fees.
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'Comprehensive scholarships like these are absolutely transformative for our middle-class students and vital to the future of the University,' says President Kate Morris. 'We are grateful to Noble and the Foundation for their generosity and alignment with our strategic goals to ensure that these students have access to the powerful liberal arts education St. Lawrence offers.'
Noble Smith voiced trust in the University's leadership, emphasizing the significance of philanthropy for St. Lawrence's future. 'The Foundation usually chooses to keep its philanthropic gifts private,' explains Noble Smith. 'But we do believe that middle-class students can get lost in the shuffle when it comes to college affordability, so we hope that by sharing the news publicly, we can inspire others to fund a similar type of gift at St. Lawrence.'
The university says the Noble family has been involved with the University for nearly a century, beginning with Edward John Noble's appointment to the Board of Trustees in 1934. He served as chair from 1942 to 1954. The renowned industrialist co-created the Life Savers Candy Company, served as the first chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Authority, was designated the first Under Secretary of Commerce by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and formed the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). St. Lawrence's Noble Center is named after Edward John Noble, who was awarded an honorary degree in 1939.
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Members of the Noble family have maintained close ties with the University throughout the years. Edward Noble's daughter, June Noble Smith Larkin Gibson (Noble Smith's mother), was later awarded an honorary doctorate. In addition to Noble Smith's continuous involvement with the University through his leadership of the Edward John Noble Foundation, his brother, Jeremy Smith '73, got an alumni citation in 2023.
President Morris expressed gratefulness to the Noble family and their ongoing support.
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St. Lawrence University lands $1.5M grant for middle-class students
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