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Morris Massry after receiving an honorary degree from Saint Rose in 2004.

The Massry Family with Morris Massry, second from left, after he received an honorary doctor of humane letters from Saint Rose in 2004.

The College of Saint Rose mourns the recent passing of Morris Massry, a generous supporter of the College, whose impact can be seen throughout the campus and in the lives of our students.

“Morris Massry’s passing is an incredible loss to the community,” said Saint Rose President Carolyn J. Stefanco. “At The College of Saint Rose, we know first-hand the remarkable impact that Morris and the Massry Family have made on thousands of students here, from our Huether School of Business to our beautiful Massry Center for the Arts. His legacy is inspiring, and his generosity will continue to change the lives of generations of students at Saint Rose.”

Massry received an honorary doctor of humane letters from the College in 2004, at the same Commencement when Julie Massry Knox earned her MBA. Massry (along with I. Norman Massry and the Massry Charitable Foundation) has supported multiple initiatives at the College, including the Science Center, the Huether School of Business, and the Plumeri Sports Complex.

Norman and the Massry Family also established the Morris Massry Scholarship in Business, in honor of Morris’s 80th birthday in 2009. It was Morris Massry’s vision that led to the creation of the Massry Center for the Arts, a building that stands today as a testament to the importance of the arts in our lives, in our community, and in the education of our students. The Esther Massry Gallery within the Massry Center is dedicated to Morris Massry’s beloved wife, Esther, because of her love for the visual arts in all its forms. Most recently, the Massry Family has generously supported the College’s service to its veteran students with the Veteran Scholarship, and the new Veteran Residence dedicated less than two weeks ago. Massry personifies the value that one should give back, and share one’s blessings with the community.

The 2004 citation for Massry’s honorary degree reads as follows:
 
“Morris Massry, your spirit of philanthropy and your commitment to improving the quality of life in the Capital Region are inspiring.  The passion with which you have devoted yourself to community service inspires us, and has enabled you to be a luminary in the Capital Region. The College’s founders, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, were and continue to be committed to excellence, gentleness, and a concern for those less fortunate. Through your dedication to community outreach, charitable endeavors, and your generosity, you serve as a living example of these values.  In recognition of what you have done to improve the quality of life for the community, The College of Saint Rose is pleased to confer upon you, Morris Massry, the degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, with all of its rights and privileges.”
 
Massry served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Daughters of Sarah Nursing Home, Salvation Army, Center for the Disabled, Excelsior College, Proctor’s Theatre, Doane Stuart School, the University at Albany Foundation, and the St. Mary’s Hospital Board and Foundation Board. 

In recognition for his community service and generosity, he has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the YMCA President’s Award; the Albany Jewish Community Center Pillars of the Community Award; the State of Israel National Leadership Award; the Boy Scouts Distinguished Citizen Award; Italian Community Center Charitable Foundation, Humanitarian Award; the Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award; University at Albany Foundation’s Citizens Laureate Award; the City of Troy PBA Gold Shield Award; St. Mary’s Foundation Vincentian Award; the Daughters of Charity National Health System Heritage Award, and the Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce’s Edward Pattison Award.  He was also given the Monsignor Burns Award, the Seton Health Caritas Award for Lifetime Service, was named to the Capital Region Business Hall of Fame, and honored by Excelsior College.