Former Governor Christine Todd Whitman’s Scholarship Gift to SPAA to Advance Women Studying Public Service

Study after study has shown that advancing women is one of the best things any society can do. Based on this premise, in 2010 former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman and her husband John Whitman gave the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) two very  generous gifts to benefit women enrolled at SPAA. The largest gift, in the amount of $100,000, established the Christine Todd Whitman Endowed  Scholarship. The second gift of $5,500 established the Christine Todd Whitman Annual Scholarship. In making the gifts, Governor Whitman noted that she and John had always been passionate about giving back to the community and especially committed to supporting women and women’s education.

Whitman served as the 50th governor of New Jersey from 1994-2001. She was the first, and to date, only female elected to such position. A champion of diversity, as governor, Whitman appointed the New Jersey Supreme Court’s first African-American justice and female chief justice. She also appointed New Jersey’s first female attorney general.

“With the Whitmans’ gifts we have been able to attract talented women interested in pursuing careers in public service,” stated Marc Holzer, dean of SPAA. “Who knows … it’s very possible a recipient of the Whitmans’ beneficence may one day find herself elevated to the rank of governor of the state of New Jersey.”