Ruth (Bronfman) Marcus ’64 to Receive Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award at Commencement

Ruth (Bronfman) Marcus ’64

Ruth (Bronfman) Marcus ’64, will receive the Ruth S. Harley Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from Adelphi University during its 118th Commencement on Monday, May 19, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. in the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale, NY.

After graduating from Adelphi’s School of Nursing (renamed the College of Nursing and Public Health in June 2013) with a bachelor’s degree, Ruth (Bronfman) Marcus ’64 embarked on a career in nursing.

At seven years old, in the hospital to get her tonsils removed, she was cared for by a nurse whose level of comfort and support inspired her. From that experience, she decided that nursing was the path she was meant to take.

As a high school student, she volunteered as a candy striper and was a member of the Future Nurses Club. When it came time to consider college, she applied to just one school, Adelphi, and was accepted into its nursing program.

As a senior, just months away from completing her degree, Mrs. Marcus faced an obstacle that could have cut her academic career short. She did not have the financial resources to pay for her final semester. Dean Ruth Harley was able to secure the necessary funding from the University for her, without which Mrs. Marcus would not have been able to afford that semester’s tuition or fulfill her goal of earning a bachelor’s degree.

Today, Mrs. Marcus offers her friendship and commitment to Adelphi as a member of the Ruth S. Harley Planned Giving Society. She has established a scholarship at the University through a bequest for the benefit of nursing students who, like she was, are in need of financial support to complete their degrees at Adelphi.

Mrs. Marcus and her husband have two children (their daughter, Amy, is a psychiatric nurse) and four grandchildren. In their free time, they enjoy traveling.

Each year, Mrs. Marcus reunites with friends from Adelphi’s Class of 1964, many of whom will be at Commencement to celebrate their 50th anniversary from Adelphi.

For more information and the full day’s program, please contact Adelphi’s Commencement Office at 516.877.4695 or visit adelphi.edu.