Though he came to Potsdam in the fall of 1973 as a fresh recruit of Potsdam Hall of Fame Coach Jerry Welsh, Robert J. Hill (Bob) never did play. The decision not to play opened an entire new arena to him, one that ultimately would leave the greatest impression upon this young recruit.

It seems a basic interest in biology would quickly be enhanced when surrounded by, what Bob now terms, “a world-class environmental laboratory that is unique to almost any place else in the world.” And while he enjoyed the Adirondack Park and the St. Lawrence River watershed, Bob confides that he, “never truly appreciated the beauty of Potsdam and the surrounding area until I came back to celebrate my 25th Reunion.”

After graduation, Bob moved to Binghamton, NY, which began a 14-year relationship with General Electric that also brought him to Daytona, FL, and Huntsville, AL. Along the way he earned his MBA and took a job at Loral Space Information Systems, as a contractor to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.

While in Texas, Bob and his wife created a successful consulting business that they rolled into a public company. As co-founder and chief operating officer, the benefits of their hard work were realized. Able to retire, Bob is involved with several not-for-profits doing volunteer and pro-bono work.

His real passion, however, remained miles away in Potsdam. A call to the Office of College Advancement served as the beginning to a unique gift. It was Bob’s desire to make a difference by blending his passion for the geographic region with the research and scholarly needs of Potsdam and its students.

To accomplish this, Bob worked with the College to gift 65,000 shares of restricted stock to the Potsdam College Foundation. Unlike commonly traded securities, which are typically liquidated immediately, restricted stocks require the foundation to hold the shares until the point in time when restrictions can be removed. The result of his generosity, the Robert J. Hill ’77 Endowment for Environmental Science has nearly $175,000 in support for the investigation of and solutions to environmental challenges facing the Adirondack and St. Lawrence Valley regions.

According to Dr. Glenn Johnson, chair of the Department of Biology, “The faculty of the Biology Department are very excited about the new prospects for regional environmental research that the Hill Endowment will afford. This gift is both timely and significant in scope and will go a long way towards providing rich and rewarding opportunities for students and faculty alike.” Bob adds, “Today’s environmental issues are a wake-up call to our nation and our world.” For him, Potsdam is the right place for work to begin.

For more information on gifts of stock and their advantages, please contact the College at 315-267-2190 or by e-mail at giftplan@potsdam.edu.