University of New England

Bernard Osher Foundation Gives UNE $1 Million to Support Undergraduate Students from Local Area

The Bernard Osher Foundation, whose namesake grew up in Biddeford and became a highly successful businessman and noted philanthropist, has given the University of New England a $1 million grant to support undergraduate students from Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach.
The Bernard Osher Foundation Endowment at UNE will ultimately provide seven students - called Osher Scholars - with $7,000 annual scholarships. The scholarship recipients will be selected each year.

Among other criteria for the award are strong academic and leadership skills, and financial need. All income from the endowment will be used for direct support of the students, with none of the money used for administrative costs.

Local Students
First preference for the new Osher Scholars will be high school seniors from the three local communities who meet all the criteria and want to attend UNE. If all the scholarship slots are not filled by these students, the geographic area to draw from expands, first to include students from anywhere in York County, then Maine, then out of state.

"This dramatic demonstration of generosity by Bernard Osher, through his foundation, truly epitomizes his commitment to give back to the community that nurtured him, and to promote and support the values of higher education among our communities’ talented and ambitious young people," said UNE President Sandra Featherman. "Mr. Osher is a remarkable man and a wonderful role model for his scholars and for all our students."

Bernard Osher
Bernard Osher grew up in the Biddeford area with his three brothers Alfred, Harold, and William, and his sister, Marion. He graduated from Bowdoin College (which awarded him an honorary degree in 2000), then went into business. He owned Palace Playland in Old Orchard Beach.

Osher later moved to northern California, where he ran Butterfield and Butterfield Auctioneers, which he sold to eBay in 1999. He is married to Barbro Osher, the consul general for Sweden in San Francisco. She is the chair of the Bernard Osher Foundation. The Oshers live in the San Francisco area and visit Maine regularly.

The Foundation
The Bernard Osher Foundation was established in 1977. The foundation’s philanthropic interests include higher education, the arts and culture, and other areas.

Bernard and Barbro Osher have a special personal interest in awarding scholarships to outstanding students with significant financial need. The majority of their generous scholarship endowments have been given to educational institutions in Maine and California. The Bernard Osher Foundation has provided financial support for local students at UNE since 2001, when the foundation donated $128,000 for four, four-year student scholarships.

"The Bernard Osher Foundation is pleased to support outstanding students at the University of New England. These students represent the promise and achievement of the state of Maine," stated Stephen Dobbs, Ph.D., executive vice president at the Osher Foundation.

The University of New England is a private university whose mission is to educate men and women to advance the quality of human life and the environment. UNE offers some 40 undergraduate and graduate degrees on its two southern Maine campuses. UNE includes the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Maine’s only medical school.

(Press release issued April 12, 2005)