Community and Family
Jeff Levy and his wife, Fran, grew up in families that stressed the importance of
education. Jeff earned his undergraduate degree from Hunter College and his doctorate
from Adelphi University. Fran earned her undergraduate degree from Long Island University
and her M.S., Ed.M., and Ed.D. at Teachers College, Columbia University. They both
became passionate about education — Fran at the elementary level and Jeff at the university
level.
Fran started as a reading teacher and became a beloved principal in the Union City School System. Jeff started as a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Seton Hall and chaired the department from 1984 to 2008. Combined, they taught for more than 85 years and have been married for 50.
Seton Hall has been a home to them since 1972. “When I was hired, Fran and I were
immediately welcomed to Seton Hall and the Department of Psychology. The University
has been like a community and the department like a family,” Jeff said.
Through the years, Jeff obtained tremendous satisfaction through teaching, advising
and observing Seton Hall students grow as they explored educational and vocational
pursuits. For that reason — and due to his lifelong appreciation for the field of
psychology — he and Fran decided to leave their legacy at Seton Hall.
First they established the Jeff and Fran Levy Fellowship to help students pursuing psychology-related master's degrees. They then made a bequest intention in their wills to eventually endow that fellowship. “My mother always said, ‘If you see a way of making something better, it is your responsibility to try,'” Jeff said. “That is what Fran and I are doing.”
Jeff has joined Fran in retirement, but they will not be slowing down anytime soon. They are looking to continue their road trips, spend time in their beloved Laurentian Mountains and complete the latest editions of Jeff's books: Adaptive Learning and the Human Condition, originally published by Pearson in 2013, and Psychology: The Science of Human Potential, published as an open-source textbook in 2020.
At a Glance: Bequests
- Charitable bequests are made by naming Seton Hall as a beneficiary in your will or living trust. This type of gift does not affect your cash flow.
- Your assets remain in your control during your lifetime. You can modify your gift at any time should circumstances change.
- You can direct your gift to the area of Seton Hall's mission that is most meaningful to you.
- We can provide you with model bequest language and will work with you on the details.