Craig and Linda Rydin both arrived at UNH as first-year students, making the adjustment to life on a college campus from the small industrial city of Berlin in northern New Hampshire. They thrived through that transition, and their UNH experiences opened doors that would likely not have been accessible otherwise, leading to both personal reward and professional success.
But their story is not unique — because they didn’t want it to be. For nearly two decades, their generosity has made it possible for deserving students to follow directly in their footsteps.
Craig and Linda have made giving back to UNH and their hometown a fundamental element of their lives. They established the Craig W. ’73 and Linda Labnon Rydin ’71 Scholarship Fund and the Rydin Family Scholarship fund, both of which provide support to students with financial need from Berlin and nearby Coos County towns, as well as the Ralph “Navy” Labnon Hospitality Management Scholarship Fund — named for Linda’s father — to provide support to students majoring in hospitality management.
To date, nearly 100 students have benefitted from their philanthropy. More than half of those students received financial support from a Rydin scholarship for their entire four years at UNH.
It was paramount to Craig and Linda that their philanthropic efforts connect UNH and the Berlin community to give students in a challenged economic environment the same opportunities they had. Many of the Berlin students who receive scholarship support wouldn’t be able to attend college without it.
Craig and Linda’s UNH ties run deep. Craig served on the UNH Foundation Board from 2009 to 2019 and is a director emeritus. While on the board, he served on a variety of committees and has been a judge for the Paul J. Holloway Prize Competition three times. He was also among the first foundation board members to make a significant underwriting gift to The (603) Challenge when it launched a decade ago. The challenge has since grown into UNH’s signature annual fundraiser and just celebrated its 10th year by raising a record-setting $3.2 million.
In addition, Craig and Linda have supported a host of nonprofits beyond UNH, including Bay Path College, St. Francis Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess, Easter Seals and Project Hope.
The Hubbard Award was established in 2001 to honor Oliver, Austin and Leslie Hubbard and recognizes "outstanding individuals whose philanthropic leadership has significantly strengthened the state of New Hampshire, its communities and the university." Previous Hubbard Award winners include Peter T. Paul '67, Marcy Peterson Carsey '66 and Dana Hamel '88P.
