For Eleanor (Ellie) Cohen Gruber (CAS`61), attending Boston University Arts & Sciences was an opportunity to learn about other people and the world. 

Gruber came to BU from Lewiston, Maine, where her family was one of a small number of Jewish families in town. She spent most of her time with a group of family friends, where, she says, she “knew everything and everyone.” On weekends, her family would visit Boston, where her parents had lived before she was born, to spend time with her large extended family. She was eager to return to the city for College. 

“As I grew older, I needed freedom. Even though I’d been to Boston a million times to visit my family, I never really lived in Boston. It was all new to me,” she said. “At BU, I was exposed to the world. I got a really good education, had some fantastic teachers, and really learned a lot. It was just a great place for me.” 

Gruber remembers taking a test when she first entered BU that guided her towards a major. Though she wanted to go into science research, the test encouraged her to choose a career with people, so she majored in government and politics. She also took a lot of courses in the school of theology, ethics and philosophy. 

Her college experience extended outside of the classroom, as well. She lived in Charlesgate Hall, joined a sorority, Alpha Phi, and met her best friend, who she remains best friends with today. During her sophomore year at BU, she met her husband, Martin, then a senior at MIT.  “Little did I know that after we married, we would travel all around the world and make friends with so many different people,” she said. “For me, it all started at BU.” 

After graduation, the couple moved to New York, where Martin pursued his masters and PhD in Economics at Columbia, and went on to serve as a professor at New York University for 45 years. Gruber thought she would go into teaching, but instead took a job on Wall Street, working for Stanford Bernstein. She remained there until the family moved to Ridgewood, N.J., where she and Martin raised their three children, who are now all grown. 

Now Gruber is giving back to Arts & Sciences to ensure that others can have the same educational experience that she had, establishing the Eleanor Cohen Gruber (CAS’61) and Martin J. Gruber Scholarship Fund at the College of Arts & Sciences, together with her husband, in response to the University’s Century Challenge initiative. The gift will provide annual, need-based scholarship awards to one or more deserving undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences, with a strong preference for students who have distinguished themselves academically and who have demonstrated a passion for learning and their studies — giving students the opportunity that Gruber is so grateful to have had. 

“I’ve always been grateful. I could afford to go to college, but there are a lot of kids who don’t have the opportunity. I want others to be able to have the experience that I did,” Gruber said. “I got a great education at BU. I don’t know why I never did contribute a lot. I thought I would make it up. It doesn’t matter how long it is before you give something, you can always give something when you’re ready.”

— Sydney Gross (PHOTOS: Jo Rosen Photography) 

Learn more about giving to Arts & Sciences.