Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning
Encyclopedia
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
(USF) offers noncredit courses with no assignments or grades for adults age 50 and over with no other objective than the love of learning. Organized in 1976 with support from Hanna and Alfred Fromm, the Institute’s program served as a model for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes
Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes
Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes offer noncredit courses with no assignments or grades to “seasoned” adults over age 50. Since 2001 philanthropist Bernard Osher has made grants from his foundation to launch OLLI programs at over 120 universities and colleges in 49 states and the District of...
that have been established at over 120 universities and colleges in the United States.
Origins
The Fromm Institute was founded by Hanna Fromm (1914 – 2003) and her husband Alfred Fromm (1905 – 1998), who had arrived in the United States as refugees from Germany in 1936. Born Hanna Gruenbaum to a prominent Jewish family in NurembergNuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, she studied choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
and worked in the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
industry.
Alfred Fromm, born in Kitzingen, Germany, was a fourth-generation winemaker
Winemaker
A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes:*Cooperating with viticulturists...
. Hanna and Alfred married in 1936 and fled the Nazis, first to New York and then to California, where Alfred formed a partnership to distribute Christian Brothers wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
and brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
. Alfred took over the Paul Masson
Paul Masson
Paul Masson was an early pioneer of California viticulture and successful popularizer of Californian sparkling wine.-Biography:...
vineyards in the 1950s, and began a commitment to philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
. Hanna became ardently committed to an active intellectual life for retirees, helping launch the Lifelong Learning program at USF with financial support and by serving as its volunteer executive director until the last months of her life. In 1979 the Fromms were awarded honorary doctorates of public service by USF.
Program
The Fromm Institute offers some 75 courses annually, spread over fall, winter, and spring terms. The program is strong on courses in the humanitiesHumanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
, and sciences. Courses meet once a week for eight weeks. Faculty are primarily emeriti professors from universities and colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. The program has grown from 300 students members in 1976 to 1250 student members today. Student membership fees cover half the program costs, with the balance coming from gifts, grants, and endowment earnings. The Fromms established a sister program at Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1979.
After Hanna Fromm’s death in 2003, former program director Robert Fordham was named executive director. The Institute publishes a monthly newsletter, From the Rooftop, during the academic year.
The Fromm program caught the attention of another San Francisco philanthropist, Bernard Osher
Bernard Osher
Bernard Osher is an American businessman, best known for his work as a philanthropist.-Life and career:A native of Biddeford, Maine, Osher studied at Bowdoin College, where he graduated in 1948...
, who was inspired to spread the model to over 120 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes
Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes
Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes offer noncredit courses with no assignments or grades to “seasoned” adults over age 50. Since 2001 philanthropist Bernard Osher has made grants from his foundation to launch OLLI programs at over 120 universities and colleges in 49 states and the District of...
that his foundation has funded at universities and colleges across the United States since 2001.
Fromm Hall
Fromm Hall, formerly a Jesuit faculty residence known as XavierFrancis Xavier
Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534...
Hall, was renamed for Alfred and Hanna Fromm on October 24, 2003. The building was remodeled following a $10 million capital campaign by Friends of the Fromm Institute, with a lead gift from Hanna Fromm. In addition to the Fromm Institute’s administrative offices and four large classrooms, Fromm Hall also contains USF’s only all-female residence, housing 175 freshman and sophomore women, facilities for the fine arts program, a women’s institute, and the parish offices of St. Ignatius
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation...
Church.