On his 100th birthday, Reitman is celebrated for giving back
Norman Reitman, Class of ’32, will never forget what it was like to struggle to pay his tuition. Scholarships and waiting tables helped him complete his education and attend medical school.
Since 1982, Reitman, who turned 100 in January, has been repaying the favor by helping other Rutgers pre-med and science majors in need with their tuition bills.
“Somebody gave money for me when I was in college,’’ said Reitman. “I had scholarships … after all, that is what life is about. You help me. I’ll help you.’’
Today there are almost 150 Reitman scholars all over the world. In honor of Reitman’s centennial birthday, nearly two dozen recipients of Reitman’s scholarships wrote letters thanking him for making a difference in their lives. Excerpts of the letters were read during a ceremony in December when Reitman received a presidential citation for his service to Rutgers University.
Reitman, of Highland Park, offers a very simple explanation for why he and his wife Syril started the scholarship program that is open to students at Rutgers' School of Arts and Sciences and Douglass Residential College. When he started at Rutgers in 1928, his father was a wealthy textile manufacturer. Reitman lived in a private suite on campus. Money was no issue. Then his father lost everything in the Depression and he needed help to get through college.
In their letters, the Reitman scholars thanked him for helping them stay in school when they were in danger of dropping out, making them feel like part of an extended family, and inspiring them to want to help others to follow in his footsteps.
“When you are socially or economically disadvantaged and at college, you feel like you are all alone and maybe the hill is too hard to climb,’’ said John Tumillo, a 1988 Rutgers graduate who grew up in Trenton.
Tumillo, an anesthesiologist at NYU’s Hospital for Joint Diseases, said when he was a student it was difficult not be able to share the experience with family members because they didn’t go to college. He said receiving the scholarship from Dr. Reitman was like having an uncle say: “I know how hard it is.’’
“It made me focus in the sense that I wanted to be like him,’’ Tumillo said. “I wanted to help and heal and care for other people and make a difference in people’s lives. When you grow up like I did, you don’t see a lot of people who are doctors or lawyers who are doing altruistic things. Once I received the scholarship, it made me realize there are great people out there and I must be pretty close.’’
Scott Sicherer, Class of ’86, an internationally recognized expert in food allergies who was the first scholarship recipient, credited Reitman with creating a legacy that has far reach.
“He has helped a large number of people achieve their goals of becoming physicians,’’ said Sicherer, who grew up in Paterson and Elmwood Park and now lives in Fair Lawn. “In turn, those individuals are touching the lives of thousands upon thousands of people, so his legacy is much greater than simply helping people to be successful pre-med students.’’
After attending medical school, Reitman returned to New Brunswick to marry his college sweetheart and turned to his alma mater seeking work. His first job in medicine was to examine the Rutgers freshman class. Then he got work as the doctor for the football team, which paid very little.
But Reitman gradually built a distinguished cardiology practice, became chief of staff at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and taught at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Reitman’s dedication to the university extends beyond his support for pre-medical students. It included years of service as chairman of the Board of Governors and leadership in the foundation that raised money to build The Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life, among other activities.
“Alma mater in Latin means ‘our mother,’’’ Reitman said. “Families should be together and mothers need help so I was always a supporter of the needs of the university.’’
Reitman’s philanthropy has inspired many scholars to want to give back.
“I felt like Dr. Reitman really had a passion for students and really cared about their success,’’ said Yajee Hannah Hong, a 2011 graduate volunteering in Cincinnati, Ohio, with AmeriCorps.
When Hong started school she worked two jobs, survived on three hours of sleep, and would borrow her friend’s textbooks and make photo copies because she couldn’t afford to buy her own. The scholarship made it possible for her to focus on being a student. She was able to complete an honors thesis on genetics that won awards.
“In this economy, I was inspired by the fact that he was willing to give,’’ said Hong, of South Brunswick. “I would like to be a person like that when I become a doctor and give back to Rutgers.’’
Reitman said hearing from the students and reading their letters brought tears to his eyes.
“I am glad I could have some part helping these people, as I was helped, in achieving their goals,’’ Reitman said.
Fundraising for new and existing scholarships is a key priority of Our Rutgers, Our Future, the Rutgers University Foundation’s $1 billion fundraising campaign, the largest in the university’s history