Lives of Consequence
Edward A. Froelich '55, L.H.D.'19
Retired Senior Supervisory Analyst and Vice President, Pershing LLC
Edward A. Froelich '55, L.H.D.'19 has been a driving force behind the growth of Hobart and William Smith’s campus through a lifetime of philanthropy. From his commitment to ensuring promising students have the means to attend the Colleges, to his support for performing arts at HWS, to his lifelong passion for the Statesmen and Herons athletic teams, Froelich has been a dedicated alumnus whose generosity, character and humor have enriched the educational experience of countless Hobart and William Smith students.
During his own years as a Hobart student, Froelich found an outlet for his lifelong zeal for athletics in covering the Statesmen for The Herald and serving as a manager for football and lacrosse for three seasons. A member of Beta Sigma Tau, he served on the Hobart Student Association and the Intrafraternity council.
After graduating with his B.A. in English, Froelich joined Pershing LLC, a brokerage firm responsible, at the time, for almost 10 percent of the trading volume on the New York Stock Exchange. From his start as a quote clerk, he spent 46 years at Pershing, rising to senior supervisory analyst and vice president when he retired in 2001.
During his successful career, Froelich married his wife, Joanne, started a family and never forgot his alma mater. Over the years, he has volunteered as a class correspondent, a class agent, a reunion volunteer, and a regional campaign volunteer, while his steadfast support funded a number of scholarships and campus projects. With Joanne, Froelich funded supported the Kathryn D. Cook Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Edward A. ’55 and Joanne I. Froelich Scholarship Fund and the Joe Abraham Prize. The Froelichs provided the funds to renovate and endow the Abraham Sports Medicine Room; the visiting team locker room in Elliott Varsity House; and the Froelich Gatehouse, which welcomes fans to the Caird Center for Sports and Recreation. The Froelichs also made a generous gift to the Gearan Center for the Performing Arts, where Froelich Hall is named in their honor.
As an alumnus, Froelich was inducted into the Hobart Hall of Fame in 2006 and again in 2010, when he was only the third person to join the Hall of Fame in the “benefactor” category. A Seneca Society member, he received the William J. Napier ’57 Award in 2003, an Alumni Citation in 2005 and the Lifetime Service Award in 2012.
Froelich is a 2019 recipient of an honorary doctorate from the Colleges for a lifetime of dedicated service, passion for academic and athletic opportunities for students, and abiding support for the advancement and longevity of the institution.