F&M Stories
F&M Remembers Benefactor and Trustee Emerita Patricia G. Ross Weis P’85
Patricia G. Ross Weis P’85, who served on the Franklin & Marshall Board of Trustees for 16 years and whose gifts enhanced both residential and academic life at the College, died Oct. 30. She was 94.
Patricia Weis and her late husband, Robert F. Weis, are among F&M’s most generous donors. In 1988, their gift made possible the construction of Weis Hall, which opened in 1990. Two decades later, their support led to the transformation of Weis Hall into Weis College House, a milestone in the evolution of the College House system. The project included the construction of a new entrance—including a Great Room with large windows overlooking the quad—and the renovation of existing space in Weis Hall into a living room, kitchen, seminar room and offices.
The gift to support the construction of Weis Hall was only the beginning of the family’s strategic leadership through philanthropy. In 2001, the couple endowed The Robert F. and Patricia G. Ross Weis Professorship in Judaic Studies to enhance the Judaic Studies curriculum.
The Weis family legacy at F&M began when Colleen Ross Weis ’85 enrolled in fall 1981. Colleen, like her mother before her, currently serves on the College’s Board of Trustees.
“Patricia Ross Weis gave her service, friendship and philanthropic support to Franklin & Marshall for many decades,” said F&M President Barbara K. Altmann. “She was passionate about helping students reach their highest potential as Diplomats, and her support of the student experience will be remembered in perpetuity. Patricia will always be a beloved member of the F&M family. I will miss her!”
Patricia Ross Weis graduated from Bard College, where she studied political science and literature. A longtime trustee and supporter of her alma mater, she was a recipient of the Bard Medal, the Bard Alumni Association’s highest honor. During her nearly 40 years as a Bard trustee, she made possible an endowed chair in Jewish history, the Weis Cinema in the Bertelsmann student center, and the completion of both the Reem-Kayden Center for Science and Computation and the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.
In addition to Colleen, she is survived by her children, Jennifer and Jonathan, and nine grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband and partner in life of nearly 60 years, Robert F. Weis, who died in 2015.
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