A pioneering Peabody High School alumna, whose research contributed to the development of numerous vaccines to combat life-threatening diseases, including the flu, is giving back to her hometown in a big way.
Dr. Ruth Shoer Rappaport, who died on April 28 at the age of 83 in Philadelphia, left a $935,000 bequest to the high school. The bequest is one of two made to the school under the terms of her will. A second, smaller distribution will be made in 2021, likely bringing the value of the entire bequest to more than $1 million.
The Peabody School Committee voted unanimously Tuesday night to accept the generous gift “with gratitude.”
“We are humbled by the incredible generosity,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Josh Vadala. “We are all very excited about this wonderful opportunity. From what I have been told, her entire estate has been donated to non-profit organizations, some of the bequests quite sizable like this one.”
“Ruth and her sisters set an amazing example for the Shoer family in so many ways as role models for women and they credited their public school education for their success,” said Rappaport’s cousin, Larry Shoer, the executor of the estate. “She was on the leading edge of the women’s movement. She was accomplished in so many things, and she chose to give her entire estate to non-profit organizations, which was so important to her. The bequest to Peabody High is just one of many she expressed in her will, many of them are also sizable.”
The amount will be held in trust by the Irving and Jennie Pearl Shoer Family Endowment, created by Rappaport to honor her parents. Interest from the principal will be used to purchase 14k gold George Peabody medals each year, which are awarded annually at graduation to the top eight members of the senior class. Any excess income will either be reinvested or used in support of the school orchestra, including expenses associated with musical instruments, remuneration for guest artists and conductors and stipends for music lessons. Funds will also provide college scholarships for high-achieving students.
Rappaport, a true Renaissance woman, was the first female research scientist hired at Wyeth Laboratories, a firm later acquired by Pfizer in 2009.
In a male-dominated field, she rose to become Senior Director of Clinical Immunology and Virology for Wyeth. Her research contributed to the development of vaccines that treat, not only influenza, but human rotavirus, adenovirus and HIV, and vaccines that protect against E. coli and cholera. She held patents for growth hormones and cancer-binding molecules, and authored nearly 60 scientific papers.
Rappaport hailed from a family firmly grounded in science. The eldest child of Jennie (Pearl) Shoer and Irving Shoer, Rappaport grew up in Peabody and graduated from Peabody High School in 1955 and Vassar College in 1959, alongside her twin sister, Dr. Patricia Shoer Goldman-Rakic. Goldman-Rakic, a highly-regarded neuroscientist, died in 2003. Another sister, Dr. Linda Shoer, the founder and president of biotechnical firm List Biological Laboratories in California, died in 1999. All three women held Ph.Ds.
Rappaport, who received her Phd at Yale University in 1967, was more than just a scientist. When not in the laboratory, she composed music and wrote poetry. She was a passionate student of ballet and performed a dance created for her by the Polish choreographer Edmund Jakub Novak, who came to Philadelphia in 1960 to set up a dance studio.
She played piano, and regularly attended opera and performances of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She was a connoisseur and collector of art, assembling a collection that included many notable paintings, furniture and pieces of American pottery and folk art
Rappaport was laid to rest at Maple Hill Cemetery in Peabody in May.
Vadala said when Shoer told him he was prepared to write a check, he was stunned when he heard the amount.
“When he said ‘935’,’ I just assumed it was $935, so I was shocked when I heard it was $935,000. And the thought that there will be another donation that will bring the amount to over $1 million, I am simply in awe.”
Shoer said he absolutely understands how the magnitude of his cousin’s generosity is staggering.
“I, too, was astounded at how generous she was in disposing of her estate,” said Shoer, “What we know is that she always remembered where she came from and that she was not any better than anyone else. She may have been tiny at only five feet tall and 100 pounds soaking wet, but she was a presence no matter where she was or what she was doing.
“I am especially pleased that during such stressful times when demands on non-profits have increased and resources to meet them have reduced, that Ruth’s bequests will help so many who need it the most.”
