Bryant's undeveloped campus in Smithfield was originally called the "Tupper Campus on Memory Hill" after Dr. Earl S. Tupper, who donated 220 acres to Bryant College in October of 1967. This parcel of land, which is now the site of Bryant University, was known as Memory Hill Farm. It was valued at $300,000 at the time of Dr. Tupper's gift. In making the gift, Dr. Tupper stated, " I'd considered a lot of different possibilities for the land and none of them quite had what it takes. Bryant College is a type of school that is providing a type of education very much needed, so you sort of like to give something to a school like that." Dr. Tupper was the former president of the Tupper Corporation, the manufacturer of Tupperware.
Bryant's new campus, a.k.a. "Tupper Campus," was dedicated on April 29,1972. A "Tupper Campus" sign was located at the entrance to the school. Now, a commemorative plaque to Dr. Tupper is located at the beginning of the main walkway to campus. The plaque was placed on the walkway in 2002 during campus renovations..
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Earl S. Tupper
Tupper
Black and white photo of Dr. Earl S. Tupper, 1907-1983 (President of the Tupperware Corporation).
In 1967, Bryant President E. Gardner Jacobs learned that Mr. Tupper wished to sell his 220-acre estate in Smithfield, RI. Dr. Tupper had initially expected a price between $75,000.00 and $100,000.00.
E. Gardner Jacobs met with Dr. Earl Tupper in his Biltmore Hotel suite in Providence to discuss the goals of Bryant College. The foremost goal being a site for a new campus. Dr. Tupper was impressed with Bryant's ideals, and on October 24, 1967 he donated his property to Bryant College, now Bryant University. The institution still resides on this same piece of land. At Bryant's 1968 Commencement Dr. Earl S. Tupper was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
