Stewart, Robert Bruce
Dates
- Existence: March 31, 1896 - June 11, 1988
Biographical Information
R. B. Stewart joined the staff of Purdue University in 1925 as the controller. At that time, Purdue enrolled 3,000 students, the physical plant was worth $3 million, and the endowment totaled $340,000. Twenty years later, Stewart was named Vice President and Treasurer. When he retired in 1961, enrollment had grown to 22,000, the physical plant was valued at $160 million, and yields from the $25 million endowment were producing funds for research, scholarships, and grants.
Stewart’s pioneering ways of financing expansion through trust gifts and interest-free bonds enabled Purdue to grow, and our University became the benchmark for every university in the country. Stewart was known as a, “Father of the G.I. Bill,” the post-World War II training programs that brought thousands of returning veterans to campuses across the country and fueled national growth and prosperity.
In 1971, Stewart made a planned gift to Purdue by donating his home, Westwood. It has served as the home of Purdue’s President ever since.
The campus building Stewart Center was named, in part, in his honor.
Citation:
Cemetery, M., America, N., County, T., Township, W. and Cemetery, M. (2017). Robert Bruce Stewart (1896-1988). https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8752498/robert-bruce-stewartFound in 1 Collection or Record:
Stewart Center records
The Stewart Center records contain floor plans and materials related to the building's construction and correspondence between Dr. John H. Moriarty and various distinguished groups and individuals invited to the dedication ceremony. A program from the first student play held in Loeb Playhouse is also contained within the collection as well as several library documents.