The gift will augment The Cecil J. and Violet W. Newton Scholarship Fund that was started in 1994, and in the past year provided scholarships for 30 pharmacy students. The Newtons created the scholarship in gratitude for the education and training the late Cecil Newton, who died in 1996, received at UB that led to his successful professional career.

"My husband truly enjoyed attending school at UB and living in Buffalo," said Violet Newton. "And he loved his work in pharmacy. It always came first for him. He wanted to help people and was very sincere about it-helping people is what appealed most to him about being a pharmacist."

Newton shares her husband's aspiration to help others and is carrying this through by adding to the Newton Fund.

"I strongly believe in doing this," she said. "Supporting scholarships for young, aspiring pharmacists, especially those in the school's new doctoral program, is my way of aiding students as they go through their studies. My husband would be very happy I'm making this gift."

A 1928 graduate of the pharmacy school, Cecil Newton was with the Walgreen Co. as a pharmacist and store manager from 1933-78, except from 1941-45 when he served in the U.S. Army in the South Pacific and Korean theaters. He retired from the army with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

The Newtons resided in Upstate New York and Connecticut throughout Cecil's career, until his retirement in 1973. They moved to Fort Myers, Fla., in 1979, where the Newtons resided for 13 years, and then settled in Bradenton, Fla., where Violet Newton still resides.

Wayne K. Anderson, dean of the pharmacy school, praised Violet Newton's continuing generosity.

"By providing such a generous gift to the pharmacy school," he added, "Mrs. Newton is exemplifying her husband's high ideals and belief in the profession.

"This invaluable augmentation of our scholarship resources not only creates outstanding educational opportunities for pharmacy students, it sends a powerful message that the school has a well-established reputation in the pharmacy field that is strongly worth supporting."

The Newton Fund is an endowed scholarship. The principal is invested for growth by the University at Buffalo Foundation, Inc. and a portion of the proceeds are dispersed as scholarships. Careful stewardship, combined with the latest gift, has brought the fund's total to $1.1 million.

As the fund continues to grow over time, more scholarships will be awarded. Initially, only 10 scholarships were awarded. In academic year 1997-98, 30 pharmacy students received scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000.