Grant Family
James Grant was a member of the Saint Peter’s faculty and administration for nearly 50 years. He worked as a physics professor and later as dean and subsequently vice president. In order to pay tribute to their father’s memory, the Grant children came together and established a named scholarship to honor the legacy of their father and the generous nature of both of their parents.
Two of the Grant children, Theresa J. Grant ’86, a professor of mathematics education, and James J. Grant III, P.E., a DuPont senior engineering fellow (retired), took some time to share their memories of their parents and why they give back to Saint Peter’s.
Adept at counseling clients at every turn of the litigation process, Kathleen employs a creative mix of litigation experience and business acumen to determine which cases should be litigated in court, which should be resolved in some alternative forum and which can and should be settled. While she is regularly successful on her clients’ behalf through negotiation and dispositive motions, she possesses significant jury trial experience, and is well-versed in all forms of alternate dispute resolution
Theresa Grant ’86
What is your relationship to Saint Peter’s?
I was the youngest of four children and I desperately wanted to go to an expensive college. I was offered a scholarship, but it was only guaranteed for one year. My parents were concerned about being able to help me pay for room and board, as well as tuition for the years that would follow. They asked me to consider going to Saint Peter’s, where my father worked, for one or two years, and then we could re-evaluate the financial situation. I agreed, and once I started at Saint Peter’s, I never wanted to leave.
What do you hope your gift will accomplish?
I hope to make it a little easier for students to pursue a college degree in the area my father loved – physics.
How does it make you feel to be able to give back to a cause that is meaningful to you?
I am grateful that our parents were able to build the savings that allowed us to do this. My parents were firm believers in giving of themselves, both professionally and personally. Their professions were both service based: my father as a teacher, and my mother as a social worker and therapist. In their spare time they worked against discrimination by participating in civil rights marches and working with Fair Housing to help identify housing discrimination. Providing this scholarship is a very small way of honoring their commitment to helping others.
Beyond your parents, is there anyone else in your life who inspired you to give back to Saint Peter’s?
My wife’s college experience is another factor that inspired my decision to give back. My wife’s mother was determined to help her daughter go to college – finding every possible scholarship that existed, no matter how small. She still had to take out student loans, but was able to go to college. I feel that everyone should be able to go to college if that is what they want to do.
What contribution/achievement are you most proud of?
That’s a tough one … while I am proud of my academic scholarship in mathematics education, I think I am most proud of my teaching career and being a parent. I have learned a lot from my students, and from my son, both of which have influenced the way I design and teach college courses.
James J. Grant III, P.E.
How does it make you feel to be able to give back to a cause that is meaningful to you?
Saint Peter’s provided my father with a career he was proud of, a job he loved and this is our way of returning the favor. When he passed, we thought it only appropriate to take part of the estate and provide educational funding for students in need.
I have a great deal of respect for endowments, scholarships and institutions like Saint Peter’s and The Cooper Union. The Cooper Union gave me my college education at no cost, and I would have had the same at Saint Peter’s with Dad as faculty. These are the institutions that have the opportunity and responsibility to help educate people without driving them into bankruptcy.
What do you hope your gift will accomplish?
I hope that it will help to defray the costs of college for those in need that have a passion for physics or related sciences. We all relied on scholarships or Saint Peter’s to provide our education as Mom and Dad’s salaries made paying for it impractical.
Is there an individual in your life who inspired you to give back to Saint Peter’s?
Of course our father inspired us, but there is also our parents’ desires for social justice and compassion that resonated with us all through growing up. This fits with Saint Peter’s mission and voila, a perfect fit!
Was there a moment you experienced at Saint Peter’s that inspired you?
Dad would sometimes take us up on the roof to look through the telescopes at the night sky, which he knew well and that was pure joy.
What would someone be surprised to learn about you?
I was accepted into Saint Peter’s biochemistry department in 1976, but then got accepted to Cooper Union School of Engineering. I decided it was better for me to attend Cooper so I wouldn’t be under Dad’s microscope. I knew nothing about engineering, but it turned into a wonderful 39 year career in DuPont’s central engineering department.
What would you tell someone who is considering making a gift to Saint Peter’s?
The cost of a college education is staggering and ordinary people need a tremendous amount of assistance. The education received at Saint Peter’s is much more than the development of intellect but the focus on ethics, compassion and justice develops the students’ social awareness.
Give today to impact the largest and most ambitious capital campaign in Saint Peter’s University history.
