Rutgers Alum Makes Largest Ever Gift To The School

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Richard N. Weeks, a 1950 Rutgers graduate who grew his family’s small marine construction company into an industry leader, has made a commitment of $10 million to support undergraduate scholarships at the Rutgers School of Engineering.

Weeks’s pledge is the largest gift to Rutgers for scholarships and the largest ever to Rutgers' engineering school. This is also actually his second gift to Rutgers: In 2014, Weeks pledged $6 million toward the construction of Richard Weeks Hall of Engineering, which opened just this past September.

“Rutgers is at the forefront of engineering education,” said Weeks. “I created this scholarship so that even more students will have the opportunity to get a first-class education at Rutgers and go on to find solutions to society’s greatest challenges.”

After graduating from Rutgers, Weeks began working for his father’s company, which loaded cargo ships in New York Harbor. Upon succeeding his father in running the business, he expanded and diversified its services. Today, Weeks Marine is a leading marine construction, dredging and tunneling firm, with operations across North America.

In recognition of his vital contributions to engineering and business, he was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2017.

“With this exceptional gift, Mr. Weeks has demonstrated his belief in the power of education to change lives forever,” said Rutgers President Robert Barchi. “Endowed scholarships help students pursue their dreams while incurring less debt, and help Rutgers attract and retain the finest students to the university.”

“Mr. Weeks is a great friend to the university and to the School of Engineering. The Weeks Endowed Scholarship will elevate the school by helping it nurture future generations of leaders essential to America’s economic, technological, and industrial success,” said Thomas Farris, dean of the School of Engineering. “The pipeline of highly skilled engineers created by Mr. Weeks’s support will help feed the nation’s growing demand for the profession.”

With successful partnerships across a range of industries and an internationally recognized faculty, the Rutgers School of Engineering at Rutgers-New Brunswickis positioned to become a leader in innovative engineering research and education. The Weeks Scholarship will heighten that trajectory by dramatically expanding opportunity and access for students hungry to make their marks in the field of engineering.

Photo of Weeks supplied to Patch by Rutgers