Thursday, February 21, 2008
Richard F. Hazel, UMES benefactor, Eastern Shore philanthropist, and former president of the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Salisbury, died on Saturday, February 16, at his home in Eden from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Mr. Hazel, a long-time friend of the University, will be remembered for years to come for his generosity to UMES. His gift of $3 million to establish an endowment to benefit the UMES teacher education program in 2004 remains the largest philanthropic gift by an individual to an HBCU in Maryland history. In recognition of his contribution and his lifelong commitment to his community, the $37 million state of Maryland-funded Hazel Hall social science and health science classroom facility was opened on campus September 2005 in his honor. A mural, which contains the spirit of the late humanitarian, is located on the second floor of the building.
The Hazel Endowment at UMES benefits Eastern Shore young people. Hazel Scholars are chosen from a pool of students from the Eastern Shore majoring in education. At both undergraduate and graduate levels, full tuition scholarships will be awarded to students who meet the academic criteria and who are from the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, and Sussex County, DE. The Hazel Endowment will also establish an endowed professorship in the Department of Education as well as provide funding for education faculty for seminars and workshops in their fields of study.
A funeral service for Mr. Hazel is at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 22, at Oak Ridge Baptist Church located in the K-Mart Shopping Center off east-bound Route 50 in Salisbury. A 1 p.m. viewing precedes the service. On Thursday, a viewing is from 6-9 p.m. at Holloway Funeral Home on Snow Hill Road in Salisbury.
A mural, which contains the spirit
of the late humanitarian,
is located on the second floor of Richard F. Hazel Hall
on the campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
