Lowell Harwood
Kean University mourns the loss of Lowell Harwood, a longtime
member of the Kean University Board of Trustees and a prolific
benefactor to the University and its students. Mr. Harwood passed
away recently at the age of 85.
Born in Newark and raised in Jersey City, Harwood was a life-long
philanthropist and shrewd businessman, who maintained an enduring
commitment to his family and to the communities that helped raise
him. After graduating from Kent State University and serving his
country during the Korean War, Harwood returned home to Hudson
County to begin working for his family’s parking business, Square
Industries.
At home, Harwood was a pillar of the local business communities,
serving on the board for the Jersey City Chamber of Commerce (and
as Chamber president in 1958), as well as on the Board of Directors for
the National Parking Association, the Metropolitan Parking Association,
and the New York Parking Association. He was also a dedicated
supporter of Christ Hospital; serving on the Board of Trustees, the
Executive Board, and the Christ Hospital Foundation Board for 40 years.
During his time with the Foundation Board, Harwood donated funds to
establish the Harwood Heart Center, a state-of-the-art coronary-care
unit, which continues to bear his name.
When the family business went public in 1969, Harwood became
Chairman and continued to headquarter the business from Bergen
Avenue in Jersey City. It was from this much-loved home base that
Harwood spent the next 28 years, taking the family-run business to
new heights. By the time the business sold in 1997, Harwood had
helped to expand operations to include 135 locations nationwide,
and achieved what he would call one of his proudest moments; being
chosen by the nation to serve as parking and lot management at the
1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.
Harwood’s relationship with Kean University officially began in 1995,
when he was appointed to the Kean University Board of Trustees by
Governor Christine Todd Whitman.
Over the next 2 decades, Harwood was a tireless advocate for Kean
University, and a vocal supporter of access and affordability in higher
education. He lent his knowledge and enthusiasm to the championing
of various campus efforts and improvement projects, including
strategic investment in University facilities and the establishment of
fundraising initiatives to support Kean students.
In 1997, Harwood founded the first Kean University Gala Event, a cause
for which he was extremely passionate. In the first 7 years, the Kean
Gala raised more than $1.4 million for the school’s scholarship fund,
and has yet to lose momentum; wrapping up its 19th year this past
June, and raising $315,000 in the process.
Harwood’s personal generosity and efforts on campus did not go
unnoticed. In December of 2004, Harwood was named the first Trustee
Emeritus of the Kean University Board of Trustees, in recognition of his
dedicated service to the University community. The following year, in
2005, Kean dedicated the Harwood Arena and Wellness Center in his
honor, and permanently reserved a much-coveted parking spot at the
Arena entrance for Harwood and his wife, Toby.
Lowell Harwood can be remembered for many things. He was,
simultaneously, a generous humanitarian and savvy entrepreneur, with
a contagious drive and enthusiasm for collaborative improvement, and
a steadfast commitment to the communities and people he cared for
most. This unique and wonderful combination of traits, and the work
he was able to do as a result, will stand as the truest testament to the
man he was, the life he lead, and the legacy he left behind.
in memoriam
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