David ’56 and Shirley Gulvin ’57
By Todd McLeish
David Gulvin ’56 was a leading advocate for community service long before it was in vogue. As president of Blackstone Valley Electric Co. and Newport Electric Corp., he encouraged his employees to volunteer in the community and served as an excellent role model by holding leadership roles with the Greater Pawtucket YMCA, Slater Mill Historic Site, the National Conference for Community and Justice, the Rhode Island Historical Society, the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, and other groups.
When he died in 2000, his wife, Shirley, who also attended URI, established an endowment at the University dedicated to students who share her husband’s commitment to community service.
“Volunteerism was such a high priority for Dave, so I wanted the scholarships to go to students who share his dedication to giving back to the community,” Shirley said. The first two scholarships were awarded last fall.
In addition to serving the community, the Gulvins have been life-long supporters of URI as well, even before either of them enrolled. Both grew up in South Kingstown—Dave’s father, Harold Edward Gulvin, was a URI professor of mechanical agriculture in the 1940s and ’50s—and they began dating while still in high school.
“URI was always a big part of our lives. We were interested in URI basketball even in high school because we lived just down the road,” Shirley recalled. “When Dave was in grade school he’d go up to the old Rodman Gym and watch the games through the window because he couldn’t get in.”
The Gulvins followed URI basketball even while stationed in Germany when Dave was in the Army; their interest continued during his 27 years working for Connecticut Light and Power Co. When they returned to Rhode Island in 1986, their support of URI athletics grew.
“We were season ticket holders for basketball, we went to the Atlantic 10 playoffs every year, and we traveled with the team to the NCAAs when they made it that far,” Shirley said. They often took their grandson Christopher Brochu, the son of Diane Gulvin Brochu ’81 and a URI senior, with them to the games as well.
In addition to their connection to URI athletics, the Gulvins have also maintained a long connection with Dave’s fraternity brothers. “He was a member of Theta Chi, and they were a wonderful group of friends,” Shirley said. “There were a lot of veterans in the fraternity when Dave was there, so it made for a very mature group of guys. We stayed close with a lot of them for many years.”
Now residing off the beaten path in a small town in New Hampshire, Shirley’s commitment to URI hasn’t waned. “I will absolutely continue giving to the endowment yearly,” she said. “It’s very important that it continue to grow so we can honor Dave and recognize student volunteers.”
Todd McLeish is the editor of the University Pacer.
