Rich Family Honors Parents with Lead Gift to Fund Alumni House at University at Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Robert E. Rich Jr. and David A. Rich, together with their families, have pledged a significant gift to the University at Buffalo for an alumni building named in honor of their parents, Janet and Robert E. Rich Sr.

Robert E. Rich Sr. is founder of the privately held, multi-billion-dollar food-products conglomerate that bears the family name.

In addition to his gift, Robert E. Rich Jr. is working with university officials to secure other donors to help fund the $6.5 million alumni building.

The 24,000-square-foot Janet and Robert Rich Alumni House will be located on the shore of Lake LaSalle on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.

The gift was announced today at a press conference at the university by two of the Richs' grandsons: Robert E. Rich III, president of Extra Mile Transportation, and Ted Rich, regional sales manager, Rich's Foodservice Division, who spoke on behalf of their father, Robert E. Rich Jr., and the Rich family.

They spoke of their grandparents' fondness for UB, where their grandfather earned his bachelor's degree in 1935, brought the spotlight to college wrestling and captained the UB football team for a then-unprecedented two years in a row.

"For my grandfather and our entire family, UB will always be a very special place," said Robert E. Rich III.

"I know my grandmother loved UB," added Ted Rich, a 1998 graduate of the Executive MBA program in the UB School of Management. "And I know she would be extremely proud today."

The late Janet Rich eloped with college classmate and sweetheart Bob Rich when she accompanied him to Cornell for a UB wrestling match in March 1934. En route, they stopped at the Presbyterian manse in Alden and were married, but kept their marriage secret for another few months. Helping her husband and raising a family intervened before she finally received her bachelor's degree from UB in 1994.

UB President William R. Greiner praised the Rich family for its long-time support of the university.

"As a UB student, Bob Rich Sr. made his mark on our athletics program as captain of the football team, and founder and first coach of UB's wrestling team," Greiner noted.

"Since his graduation from UB, he has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the frozen-food industry. He has been an outstanding community leader in Western New York, and an excellent entrepreneurial role model for today's UB students."

Greiner added: "His alma mater is very proud of his many accomplishments. We are delighted that the Rich family has chosen to honor Bob and Janet through this gift, which will enhance the quality of campus life for UB students and alumni for many years to come."

Donald C. Roberts, past president of the UB Alumni Association and chairman of the Alumni House fund drive, welcomed the "generous gift from the Rich family."

He noted: "It will go a long way toward making our dreams come true because this exciting project will help build a sense of community among university graduates.

"We envision it as a place for all alumni to gather, share ideas and renew friendships; a building to be used for meetings, as well as for all kinds of social events."

Architects' plans for the Janet and Robert Rich Alumni House include a great hall, a conference room, a terrace, a presidential suite, a library, an art gallery, a café and office space for the UB Office of Alumni Relations.

Beverly Foit-Albert, a UB alumna and leader of the Foit-Albert Associates architectural team that created the concept, said those working on the project were inspired by the stone, timber and high, vaulted ceilings of an Adirondack lodge and they hope the building design reflects the aesthetic virtue of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Robert E. Rich Sr., founder and chairman of the board of Rich Products Corp., the country's largest family-owned, frozen-food manufacturer, has earned many honors for his professional and civic leadership. Recently named one of the century's top-10 business personalities by The Buffalo News for inventing Rich's ® Whip Topping ® non-dairy topping and founding Rich Products, he also earned the Herbert Hoover Award from the Food Distributors International in 1997, was inducted into the Frozen Foods Hall of Fame in 1990, was named Western New Yorker of the Year by the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce in 1981 and Citizen of the Year in 1977 by The Buffalo News.

In addition, he has served on numerous business and professional boards, including Gibraltar Steel Corp., the former Marine Midland Bank, Buffalo General Hospital and Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Several charitable organizations have honored him, including the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation, the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and Junior Achievement of Western New York.

A long-time donor to UB and supporter of its athletic-scholarship programs, Robert E. Rich Sr. has served on the University Council, as a trustee of the UB Foundation and as president of the UB Alumni Association. He has served as honorary chair for several university fund-raising campaigns, including the Pathways Campaign; the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship and the current "The Campaign for UB: Generation to Generation."

Inducted into the UB Athletic Hall of Fame in 1966, he received a SUNY honorary doctorate in law in 1987 and the university's most prestigious award, the Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal, in 1996.

Janet W. Rich, who died in 1998, was active in her husband's business affairs, managing the office of the small dairy in the mid-1930s and becoming a vice president and member of the corporate board of directors when Rich Products began in 1945. A leader of prayer classes and Bible groups, Janet Rich also was active in the community and served on many boards, including those of Children's Hospital of Buffalo, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Bristol Home.

Like his father, Robert E. Rich Jr. is a well-known business and civic leader. President of Rich Products Corp. since 1987, he also is president of Bison Baseball, Inc., Wichita Baseball, Inc., and Jamestown Baseball, Inc. A graduate of Williams College, he holds an MBA from the University of Rochester.

He serves or has served on various professional boards, including those of Marine Midland Bank, American Association of Professional Baseball, New York State Industrial Cooperation Council, Greater Buffalo Chamber of Commerce, the National Frozen Food Association and the Grocery Manufacturers of America. Together with his wife, Mindy, Rich's executive vice president, he co-founded Western New York United Against Drug and Alcohol Abuse, where they currently serve on the board of directors. He also has served on the boards of Children's Hospital of Buffalo, Greater Niagara Frontier Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Buffalo Urban League and Studio Arena Theatre.

Robert E. Rich Jr. joined his father in the Frozen Food Industry Hall of Fame in 1996, becoming part of the first father-son team to be inducted. Other honors include being named Niagara Frontier Executive of the Year by the UB School of Management in 1984, the Buffalo Sales and Marketing Executive of the Year in 1984, a Citizen of the Year in 1983 by The Buffalo News and the Rita Webb Smith Citizens Drug Fighter of the Year by the New York State Governor's Anti-Drug Abuse Council in 1992.

The Reverend David Rich is pastor at Christ Our Healer Ministries in Buffalo, executive director of the Rich Family Foundation and secretary of the board of Rich Products Corp. He also has served parishes in Washington, D.C.; Jackson, Miss.; and Covington, Ky. Ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in 1976, David Rich earned credentials from the Elim Fellowship in 1998.

His bachelor's degree is from Bradley University and his master's degree from Virginia Theological Seminary.

In addition to his pastoral work, David Rich has been a civic leader, active on numerous boards including the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, American Red Cross, Children's Hospital of Buffalo, Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society, and Shea's Buffalo Center for the Performing Arts. He also has served on the National Advisory Board of the Samaritan Pastoral Counseling Center in Denver, Colo., and the Salvation Army School for Officer Training.

For information on how you can support the University at Buffalo, go to http://www.buffalo.edu/giving.