PISCATAWAY, N.J. (July 8, 2019) – A broken ankle nearly destroyed the dream. Mark Hershhorn had not had a leg to stand on financially coming from an impoverished family, and now literally couldn't stand on his leg to keep his Rutgers football scholarship as a tackle for the Scarlet Knights in 1968.
 
Hershhorn, however, had an invaluable fallback. He had an Ivy League-caliber brain and work ethic, and helped launch a fledgling academic support program for Rutgers' football and men's basketball programs. He worked as an economics and accounting tutor, and while the injuries never allowed Hershhorn to return to the gridiron, he was still able to leave a lasting legacy by building a foundation of academic support that became a renowned trademark of The State University of New Jersey.
 
He kept his scholarship. He even made some money on the side, just enough to buy an engagement ring for his high school sweetheart, Charon.
 
Nearly 50 years after his graduation "On the Banks," Hershhorn is still supporting Rutgers' student-athletes, and this time on a life-changing scale. Mark and Charon fully endow a pair of athletic scholarships at Rutgers, one for football and another for women's basketball. The high school sweethearts also gave on the ground floor for the development of the burgeoning Academic Success Center, which is set to open its doors in 2020.
 
"Looking back at my experience, Charon and I immediately understood what scholarships and being able to go to school meant to us," Hershhorn said. "I enjoyed watching other young athletes realize how important the education is on their way through the college experience. I love Rutgers, and I've been very involved with multiple aspects of its operations and enhancement. We wanted to make sure these scholarships were endowed so they were around whether I was here or not. Education is the most important thing you can have in life."
 
Hershhorn's multi-million means of generosity stemmed from his ability to parlay that education into a successful half-century career in marketing and operations for powerhouse companies such as National Media Corp., where he built a powerful TV infomercial empire. He got his start at PricewaterhouseCoopers before moving on to Pfizer, the Franklin Mint, NutriSystem and then, National Media Corp. Most recently, Hershhorn was the Chairman and CEO of the privately-owned real estate company CKS & Associates LLP.
 
It all started from next to nothing.
 
As a child, Hershhorn's family earned less than $5,000 a year. With an athletic build at 6-foot-1 and born with basketball genetics – Mark's father played hoops in the army – he had dreams of reaching 6-foot-8 and playing power forward in college. As he stopped growing vertically, his love of football grew. In a late-season football game in high school, the Rutgers staff was in attendance and Hershhorn shined with multiple sacks of the quarterback.
 
Hershhorn had already been recruited by Ivy Leaguers Penn, Princeton, Harvard and Cornell, but his financial situation at home was a major obstacle. He was invited on an official visit to Rutgers.
 
"I went to the men's basketball game against Denver, I stayed on College Avenue, I saw an outrageous concert," Hershhorn recalled. "I called my dad and said, 'I'm going to Rutgers. I found my home. I can fit in here.'"
 
As he learned from being a tackle in football, he just kept moving forward. With a full athletic scholarship, he posted excellent grades, turned his injury into a positive experience, and earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business in 1972. As his career skyrocketed, Hershhorn honored the place that housed the definitive years of his life. Now, his involvement is all about moving Rutgers forward.
 
"We're living the American Dream," he said. "Rutgers is where I got my foundation. Charon and I wanted to make sure others got that chance."
 
Mark and Charon attended a football alumni reunion in the late 1990s and were reconnected to the administration. Since then, Hershhorn served as Chair and a member of the Rutgers Board of Overseers, a member of the Board of Overseers athletic and development committees, a member of the Board of Governors, Chair of the Board of Trustees and is now a Trustee Emeritus. He was instrumental in the Football Stadium Expansion project and the creation of the Football Scholarship Fund. Mark and Charon also set up a scholarship to aid junior Animal Science majors in studying abroad in honor of their daughter, Kimberley, a 1999 graduate of Rutgers' Cook College who went on to own a veterinary hospital.
 
Hershhorn has served on the hiring committees for former football coach Greg Schiano and current Rutgers president Robert Barchi. In recognition of his service to the University, Mark is a recipient of the Scarlet Oak Meritorious Service Award, the Rutgers Medal for Philanthropic Excellence, and the SBC 25th Anniversary Award. He is also a Loyal Son of Rutgers.
 
Now, he hopes his story inspires loyalty. Hershhorn believes endowed scholarships are the most important factor in building the football program to Big Ten competitiveness and prompting New Jersey's most talented football products to stay home and defend The Birthplace of College Football.
 
"What matters is the student-athletes and the lifetime of connections that follow," Hershhorn said. "This is the right time and the right place. We've been open about our passion with funding these scholarships, and we've actually inspired others to do the same."
 
Hershhorn's story prompts an important thought as Rutgers approaches full-membership and revenue share status in the Big Ten in 2020-21. Imagine Hershhorn's American Dream mirroring the Scarlet Knights' relentless pursuit of excellence, with Rutgers enjoying a nice head start compared to Mark's humble beginnings. The Dream can become a reality as more and more like-minded supporters pledge to enrich Rutgers student-athletes' academic foundation.
 
"After a tough season, the answer isn't cancelling your tickets," Hershhorn says. "The answer is investing what you can to help the program respond to adversity and reclaim its climb."
 
 
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