Estate of distinguished New Rochelle High School alum gives back to alma mater
The estate of a distinguished alum from New Rochelle High School is giving back to his alma mater.
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The estate of a distinguished alum from New Rochelle High School is giving back to his alma mater.
Hugh Jesse Arnelle was a member of the Class of 1951 who died in 2020.
The New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence announced Monday that Arnelle's estate gifted $350,000 to the nonprofit in hope that it will benefit students at the high school.
After graduating, school officials said Arnelle went on to accomplish many things. They said he played basketball and football at Penn State and served as the university's first Black student body president. He also worked as a professional athlete, lawyer and civil rights advocate.
He served in the Air Force and the Peace Corps, and he was picked by Sen. Robert F. Kennedy to work on his presidential campaign in 1968.
To honor all of these achievements, the high school renamed its weight room after Arnelle and gave out a scholarship to a deserving student.
This year's recipient is student-athlete Mia Torres.
When asked how she got picked for the honor, Torres said, "I don't know honestly. I think it's just a blessing from God, truly, because there's so many candidates here... so many amazing athletes that are great in the classroom and on the field."
School officials also announced that the athletic department retired two jerseys that Arnelle wore as student while at New Rochelle High School.
