Honoring a Beloved Brother

William Armbruster ’71 is deeply committed to social justice, a tenet at the very heart of Ignatian
spirituality. At Saint Peter’s University in the 1960s, he and his three older brothers—including the late Robert Armbruster ’63—were vocal in their support for the rights of others during a tumultuous time in
our nation’s history.

That conviction, coupled with love and respect for his late brother, led the retired journalist to establish
the Robert Armbruster Social Justice Scholarship, awarded to a Saint Peter’s student minoring in social
justice who also participates in community service. During his lifetime, Bob was dedicated to helping the
homeless and members of his church in Bergen County, NJ. Funded through Bill’s share of his brother’s
estate, the generous gift supports the Transformational Scholarships priority for Peacocks Rise. Bill
says, “I think the scholarship is a very appropriate way to honor Bob, who was one of the kindest, most
generous people I have ever known.”

After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Saint Peter’s, Bill traveled widely, attending graduate
school in Hawaii. Later, he lived in Taiwan to study Mandarin Chinese while teaching English and
launching a successful journalism career spent largely at The Journal of Commerce, a New York-based
business publication. Bill has also strengthened his relationship with Saint Peter’s serving on alumni
panels, staffing admissions recruitment events and contributing to the University through the Annual
Fund and planned giving: “I hope that I’m helping to make Saint Peter’s a better place, not only because
of my donations, but also because of what I do to help students and to increase enrollment.”