Lisa Boughter Saporta chose to create an endowment fund to honor her late husband, Larry Saporta (A91), who was a professor of art history at Rosemont College in Pennsylvania.

A few months after Larry’s death in September 2011, Bryan Dorland (A92) contacted Lisa to suggest they create an endowment fund in Larrys memory. “I responded without hesitation that it was a great idea,” Lisa recalls. “It’s a concrete way to keep Larry’s spirit alive at an institution he cared deeply about. I knew it was one of the things we could do for Larry that would be truly meaningful for him.” It turned out to be truly meaningful for Lisa as well, playing a tremendous role in processing her grief.

Thanks to generous contributions from Larry’s friends, former classmates, colleagues, and family, Lisa and Bryan were able to establish the Lawrence L. Saporta PhD Memorial Scholarship in September 2012. The scholarship supports students who, like Larry, intend to pursue a PhD after graduating from St. John’s. Lisa and Bryan meet with the new Saporta Scholar early each fall semester and follow his or her progress while at St. John’s and afterward. Lisa finds that connection with the students to be especially rewarding.

In 2014, Lisa and Bryan collaborated with Susan Borden (A87), director of corporate and foundation relations, to institute the St. John’s College Memorial Fun(d) Run. The Fun(d) Run is an annual 5k race, held on the morning of the St. John’s-U.S. Naval Academy Croquet Match each spring on the Annapolis campus, that raises money for and brings attention to all of the college’s memorial funds.

Lisa is a freelance architectural and documentary photographer and custom printer. Prints of her personal work are included in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Haverford College.