Robert S. Bloomer, Jr., a member of Hamilton's class of 1950, was honored as the College's Volunteer of the Year by the Alumni Association during a Fallcoming Weekend luncheon on Oct. 3. Mark Rice '73, president of the Alumni Association, presented Bloomer with the award.
A Newark, N.Y., native, Bloomer first came to Hamilton in 1944, when he was serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. At the time, the campus was given over to military programs, and he was assigned to the Hill for specialized training. He spent six months at Hamilton, and after two years on active duty, Bloomer returned to College Hill in the spring of 1947 as a regularly enrolled student.
Bloomer majored in the sciences and played lacrosse, ran track and co-captained Hamilton's soccer team. Following his graduation in 1950, he returned to Newark and entered the family business, Bloomer Bros. Paper Co. He remained with it and its successor companies in the paper and packaging industry throughout his 39-year career. After serving in various management positions, including director of purchasing for the Rexham Corp. in Charlotte, N.C., he retired in 1989.
Bloomer has served in numerous capacities in connection with Hamilton's fundraising endeavors including several capital campaigns, as chair of reunion committees, class president and Alumni council member and he continues to be a class correspondent for the Alumni Review.
Bloomer was especially recognized for his hands-on involvement in recruiting students for the College and assisting them financially. Through the Bloomer Family Scholarship, students with financial need, with preference given to those from Newark and Wayne County, N.Y., are helped along the way.
A Newark, N.Y., native, Bloomer first came to Hamilton in 1944, when he was serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. At the time, the campus was given over to military programs, and he was assigned to the Hill for specialized training. He spent six months at Hamilton, and after two years on active duty, Bloomer returned to College Hill in the spring of 1947 as a regularly enrolled student.
Bloomer majored in the sciences and played lacrosse, ran track and co-captained Hamilton's soccer team. Following his graduation in 1950, he returned to Newark and entered the family business, Bloomer Bros. Paper Co. He remained with it and its successor companies in the paper and packaging industry throughout his 39-year career. After serving in various management positions, including director of purchasing for the Rexham Corp. in Charlotte, N.C., he retired in 1989.
Bloomer has served in numerous capacities in connection with Hamilton's fundraising endeavors including several capital campaigns, as chair of reunion committees, class president and Alumni council member and he continues to be a class correspondent for the Alumni Review.
Bloomer was especially recognized for his hands-on involvement in recruiting students for the College and assisting them financially. Through the Bloomer Family Scholarship, students with financial need, with preference given to those from Newark and Wayne County, N.Y., are helped along the way.
