Paul Newman Senior Fellow in Philanthropy at Marist

Raymond A. Lamontagne, a philanthropist and retired financier, will continue his work as the first Paul Newman Senior Fellow in Philanthropy at Marist College, thanks to continued support from the Newman’s Own Foundation and Marist.

Since being named to the post last year, Lamontagne has met with hundreds of Marist students — including Emerging Leaders Program participants, student athletes, and others — to discuss current issues in philanthropy and service. He has also provided advice and guidance to not-for-profit groups with strong Marist ties, including Friends of Jaclyn and Heart One.

“Marist is excited to have someone of Ray’s stature be a part the College community and share his deep knowledge of the vital roles service and philanthropy play in improving lives,” says President Dennis J. Murray. “We are grateful to Newman’s Own Foundation, itself a leading force in philanthropy, for supporting this fellowship.”

“I have enjoyed working with everyone at Marist, and I look forward to continuing the discussion of the importance of philanthropy and service in addressing society’s problems and creating a better future,” says Lamontagne. “Marist has a strong culture of service and philanthropy, and its students, faculty, and staff are passionate about improving the world around them.”  

A Lifetime of Service

Lamontagne brings to the position a lifetime of service to local, national, and global causes. Proud of his humble beginnings in Manchester, NH, he worked in his father’s restaurant and had parents who impressed upon him the importance of education. After graduating from Phillips Academy and Yale, he was awarded a teaching fellowship with the Yale-in-China program and chose that over an offer to play major league baseball.

This decision drew the attention of The New York Times. The resulting article, in turn, caught the eye of Eleanor Roosevelt who, after reading it, personally invited Lamontagne to visit her at Val-Kill, her Hyde Park cottage, where they spent a weekend discussing world affairs.

This experience and many others in which Lamontagne met and worked with leading figures from the worlds of philanthropy, public service, politics, and business all made deep impressions on him and strengthened his commitment to helping others and working to solve problems at home and around the world.

Lamontagne helped Sargent Shriver launch the Peace Corps, worked with John D. Rockefeller III on developing operating and accountability standards for private foundations, has been involved since its inception with Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for seriously ill children, and was founding chairman of the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, which expanded the model worldwide.

In 2007, Lamontagne was presented with the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Founder’s Award for a lifetime of philanthropic achievement by Historic Hudson Valley, the museum of historic sites. He is retired from a career in finance during which he founded and ran several successful private investment firms.

Currently, Lamontagne serves as chair of the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, chairman of New York City Center for the Performing Arts, a director of the Dyson Foundation, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute.