The late Peter D. Pruden Jr. of Suffolk, Va., and his wife, Phyllis S. Pruden, have made a $454,344 gift that will be added to a scholarship they endowed in 2002.
Peter Pruden, who worked in the meat processing industry, attended Elon from 1937 to 1938 and left the college to work in the family business and later served in the Air Force during World War II. Phyllis Pruden is a retired teacher and a 1945 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dedicated philanthropists, the Prudens have been generous supporters of the arts and medical community in Suffolk. They have also made more than a dozen major gifts to colleges and universities in Virginia and North Carolina.
The couple felt that endowing the Pruden Scholarship would ensure that future generations would enjoy the advantages of an Elon education.
“Peter and I felt that it was important to share and to give back to those who are less fortunate, especially students,” Phyllis Pruden says.
This is the university’s second gift from the Prudens. In 2002, the couple gave $100,000 to Elon to establish the Peter D. Pruden and Phyllis S. Pruden Scholarship. The scholarship assists Elon students studying business administration, economics or accounting.
The most recent gift has been added to the scholarship fund. When fully funded, the scholarship will be one of Elon’s largest at close to $1 million.
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