An avid outdoorsman, Paul Dower continued his adventures well into his later years. A favorite trip was canoeing James Bay, in the southern end of Canada’s Hudson.
“It’s about the last wilderness there is, where you can just about whatever you want,” Dower told the Springfield Republican in 2010 to mark his 90th birthday.
2021 brought the implementation of one of Dower’s last wishes, to help Westfield State students finish their undergraduate days and embark on their own adventures.
With wealth acquired from a lifetime of investing, he spent his later days anonymously supporting the Last Mile Fund at Westfield State. The Last Mile Fund helps Westfield State students who just need a little extra financial assistance to get over the finish line of graduation.
A one-time student but not a graduate of Westfield State, Paul preferred anonymity to his giving.
“He had a good heart,” says Maria Perez `18, who only recently learned the name of the donor who helped make completing her degree possible.
Paul passed away just days following his 100th birthday and bequeathed Westfield State close to $4 million, with a million to the Last Mile Fund, another to establish the Paul W. Dower Live Strong Scholarship, and the balance for a trust to be dispersed over the next five years to assist the University with access and retention initiatives for students. The Paul W. Dower Live Strong Scholarship is the University’s first full scholarship of $40,000, granting $10,000 per year for four years, awarded to high-achieving Westfield State students.