An esteemed university professor surprised her former students by bequeathing them the bulk of her estate, amounting to $2.8 million. According to a report in the New York Times, each beneficiary received between approximately $26,000 and $560,000.
Professor Cris Hassold, who taught art history for more than 50 years at New College of Florida in Sarasota, had quietly amassed a considerable fortune. Having almost no family ties, she chose to leave her assets to 36 people, 31 of whom were her former students.
The amount left to each varied according to the degree of emotional closeness and the professor’s assessment of each person’s financial need. In the absence of a family of her own, Hassold had “adopted” many of the young adults she had met during her academic career. These, in turn, had warmly welcomed her interest, even going so far as to help her with daily chores.
Hassold retired at age 85 and, after suffering a stroke, became ill.
One of her former students, Katie Helms, recounted, “Beyond her tough exterior, there was a kind and caring educator who appreciated the aspirations of her students. I will never receive the same kind of attention from my parents,” she movedly told the New York Times. “I think about her almost every day.”
“She had no family, but we were her family,” said another former student. “She adopted us, and we adopted her.”
