UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The family of the late James “Jim” L. Perine, who was named Penn State’s first director of the Upward Bound program in 1968, has established the James L. Perine Memorial Fund for the Upward Bound Program at the University. Contributions to the fund will provide annual support to the programs and activities of the University’s Upward Bound Program, for a period of five years.
Upward Bound was established 1965 by the United States Office of Economic Opportunity for universities to help provide disadvantaged high school students with resources and academic preparation to increase their chances for college admission.
“My father came from a background similar to that of students served by Upward Bound. As he was recruiting for and building the program, he had a direct resonance with and understanding of the students and their families,” said Lori A. Perine, a science policy consultant and Jim Perine’s daughter. “In the nearly 50 years since, my father was privileged to hear from many students that they credit the experience at Upward Bound under his mentorship as being transformational in helping them pursue a path to success in college and beyond.
"We are establishing this fund so that those who wish to honor Jim Perine’s legacy will have a way to ‘give back’ and help to pave the path for a future generation," she added. "The importance of helping to sustain programs like Upward Bound in providing academic enrichment, mentoring and transitional support to students from culturally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds cannot be understated. We hope that this fund can in some small way contribute to that sustainability at Penn State.”
James L. Perine completed his undergraduate work at Missouri State University in philosophy and psychology and received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Maryland in 1968. Perine, who came to Penn State as an instructor in community service, was named director of Penn State’s Upward Bound Program, also in 1968, after the University joined 200 other universities around the country in establishing an Upward Bound summer program on campus that same year.
In 1972, Perine was appointed as assistant to the dean in the College of Human Development (now known as Health and Human Development) at Penn State. Among his many duties in that position, he oversaw college academic programs and headed the college’s Educational Opportunity Program, all while serving as an adviser to incoming freshman. Perine taught courses on adolescence and coordinated scholarships and financial aid programs for the college. From 1977-1978, he served as coordinator for the Black Studies program and authored several articles pertaining to Black history. Perine also assisted with the development of an honor society for the College of Human Development.
After leaving the University, Perine continued his support of socio-economically challenged students and their families through the professional positions he held at the San Diego Urban League, the Federal Quality Institute, and the U.S. Department of Labor. Perine passed away on February 10, in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he lived in retirement. He is survived by his wife B. Rosalie Perine, daughter Lori, son Kelly L. Perine, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
“The Upward Bound Program at Penn State has played an integral role in assisting many high school students with the necessary academic skills and unyielding encouragement to pursue a college education,” said Marcus Whitehurst, Penn State’s vice provost for Educational Equity. “Many of our Upward Bound students are the first in their families to go on to earn a college degree. We are extremely grateful and appreciative of the James L. Perine Memorial Fund for its support to the Program and to the students we serve. The Perine Memorial Fund will certainly enhance our efforts in creating access and opportunities for the success of future Upward Bound students.”
Upward Bound is a federally funded program that helps high-school students gain academic skills and motivation to continue their education beyond high school. At Penn State, the Upward Bound Program serves over 116 students each year from six target high schools in five counties — Clearfield, Dauphin, Huntingdon, Mifflin and Perry.
Penn State now has Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math and Science, and Upward Bound Migrant Programs, all pre-college access programs administered through the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity.
This gift in support of the Upward Bound program, speaks to the Open Doors Scholarship, one of the core imperatives of Penn State’s new campaign, "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence." This commitment to create scholarships for undergraduates with financial need will offer students from all backgrounds the opportunity to receive an exceptional education. To contribute visit www.GiveTo.psu.edu/PerineMemorialFund.
Gifts from Penn State’s alumni and friends have been essential to the success of the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve the public good. To fulfill that mission for a new era of rapid change and global connections, the University has begun "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a fast-paced campaign focused on the three key imperatives of a public university. Private support will keep the door to higher education open and enable students to graduate on time and on track to success; create transformative experiences on Penn State campuses and around the globe that tap the full potential of Penn Staters to make a difference; and impact the world through discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship. To learn more, please visit www.giveto.psu.edu.