A new scholarship at St. John Fisher University will provide students with financial assistance to pursue their college degree thanks to a major gift from Kris Brown Hermance and her children in honor of her late husband and their father, Ronald E. Hermance, Jr., Class of 1969.
A $500,000 gift has established the Hermance Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship will provide scholarship support to undergraduate students, with preference for students from Genesee County.
“We are grateful to the Hermance Family for their continued commitment to the University, which expands access to a Fisher education and supports current and future students as they pursue their college aspirations. This endowed scholarship is a lasting expression of their dedication to and belief in the institution,” said Dr. Gerard J. Rooney, president.
Mr. Hermance’s Fisher education was made possible through scholarship support, and he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He was actively involved with the University for many years, including service on the Board of Trustees from 2009 until his passing in 2014. In 2007, he was honored with the University’s Excellence in Management Award, which recognizes alumni who demonstrate outstanding leadership and managerial accomplishments. He was chairman and chief executive officer of Hudson City Bancorp, which was acquired by M&T Bank in 2015. He had a 21-year tenure with Hudson City Savings Bank, joining in 1988 as senior executive vice president, chief operating officer, and a member of the bank’s Board of Directors. In 1997, he became the eleventh president in the bank’s 141-year history, and was promoted to chief executive officer in 2002, and chairman in 2005.
The Hermance family’s philanthropy has also supported the creation of the Hermance Family Chapel of St. Basil the Great, which opened in fall 2017.
New Scholarship Honors Class of 1969 Alumnus2026-06-22T09:18:00-04:00A new scholarship at St. John Fisher University will provide students with financial assistance to pursue their college degree thanks to a major gift from Kris Brown Hermance and her children in honor of her late husband and their father, Ronald E. Hermance, Jr., Class of 1969.A $500,000 gift has established the Hermance Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship will provide scholarship support to undergraduate students, with preference for students from Genesee County.
“We are grateful to the Hermance Family for their continued commitment to the University, which expands access to a Fisher education and supports current and future students as they pursue their college aspirations. This endowed scholarship is a lasting expression of their dedication to and belief in the institution,” said Dr. Gerard J. Rooney, president.
Mr. Hermance’s Fisher education was made possible through scholarship support, and he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He was actively involved with the University for many years, including service on the Board of Trustees from 2009 until his passing in 2014. In 2007, he was honored with the University’s Excellence in Management Award, which recognizes alumni who demonstrate outstanding leadership and managerial accomplishments. He was chairman and chief executive officer of Hudson City Bancorp, which was acquired by M&T Bank in 2015. He had a 21-year tenure with Hudson City Savings Bank, joining in 1988 as senior executive vice president, chief operating officer, and a member of the bank’s Board of Directors. In 1997, he became the eleventh president in the bank’s 141-year history, and was promoted to chief executive officer in 2002, and chairman in 2005.
The Hermance family’s philanthropy has also supported the creation of the Hermance Family Chapel of St. Basil the Great, which opened in fall 2017. /media/news-images/fall-2017/HermanceFamilyChapelExterior-960.jpg
