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 Paul Cinquegrana ’63 was not thrilled about spending money. According to wife
Betty, his favorite place to shop was Value City. But he was a genius at making
money, both for other people and for himself. As a stockbroker and financial
analyst, Paul had an extraordinarily successful career. He also had an
extraordinarily successful 38-year marriage to wife Betty.
The two met at a singles event in Washington, D.C., organized by someone who
collected a cover charge and provided music and drinks. “I spent three dollars
to meet Paul,” Betty says, “but it was an investment that paid off.”
In later years Paul’s health began to fail. Betty and Paul had drawn up a
will, and Betty knew that Paul wanted to help the Smith School in their estate
plans. He had been actively involved with the university after graduation and
served on several boards, particularly on the Dean’s Advisory Council under the
leadership of former Dean Rudy Lamone. Paul had gotten to know a number of Smith
students and was impressed with their talent. Paul thought education was
important, and he was interested in endowing scholarships that would allow the
best students to come to the school regardless of their financial situation.
 Paul and Betty had originally planned to make their gift to the Smith School
after their deaths. But Betty didn’t want to wait, and when approached with a
naming opportunity for the school’s financial trading laboratory, she felt that
the time had come. “When Paul worked at home those last six years, the TV was
always on with the New York Stock Exchange quotes scrolling across the bottom of
the screen,” says Betty. “I thought it was so appropriate that this lab have
Paul’s name on it. He was a finance major and a stockbroker.”
The Paul J. Cinquegrana Financial Trading Lab allows students to get
real-time experience with financial concepts, increasing their marketability
after graduation. Developed as part of the University of Maryland’s Flagship
Initiative in Finance and Technology, the lab emphasizes hands-on learning and
utilizes the latest in technology. Real-time data and analytical tools are
provided by Reuters and displayed on electronic display boards and a 20-foot
electronic stock ticker. The lab was dedicated on May 7 in a ceremony attended
by Betty, former Dean Howard Frank, former Dean Rudy Lamone, and many of the
Cinquegranas’ family and friends.
The Cinquegranas have also endowed the Paul J. Cinquegrana Finance
Scholarship Fund, the Paul J. Cinquegrana Endowed Chair in Finance and the Paul
J. Cinquegrana Finance Fellows Fund.
Betty is a Terp-in-law via her marriage to Paul, but she is also a Smith
School champion and friend in her own right. “Giving to the Smith School was
important for both of us,” Betty says. “I went to school entirely on
scholarships. When I went to college I didn’t have a nickel to buy a Coke. I
appreciated my education, and I never would have gotten it without scholarships.
We never had children or grandchildren to educate. It’s wonderful to help young
people who want to get an education.”
Great Expectations: The Campaign for Maryland is continuing through 2012. For
information about how you can make a scholarship gift or offer other support,
contact Kathi Dantley-Warren, 301.405.2113.
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