ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine Foundation and Maine Athletics have announced a $10 million estate gift from Phillip Morse ('64), a transformative commitment that will support current and future capital athletics projects and facility maintenance, as well as efforts to recruit and retain talented student-athletes, coaches and staff while sustaining Maine excellence.
 
The latest gift from the Morse family marks their fifth major investment in Maine Athletics over the past 30 years. It follows a $10 million commitment in 2022 that secured naming rights to Morse Arena and Chappelle Court, which is expected to be completed and in use during the 2027-28 basketball season.

"It's a privilege for me to continue to provide financial support to assist in enhancing the campus and athletics footprint at UMaine," said Morse. "I have so many wonderful memories from my time in Orono and remain close with several friends I first met back in the early 1960's at the university, including Skip Chappelle. Skip and I were baseball teammates in 1961 and have remained friends ever since. It's my honor to dedicate the court in his name and further recognize his Hall of Fame career as both a coach and student-athlete at UMaine."

The $10 million estate commitment will establish the endowed Morse Arena, Alfond Stadium and Alfond Arena Endowment Fund, providing long-term support for the maintenance and enhancement of those facilities. A portion of the gift will also create the Morse Recruitment and Retention Fund, which will help recruit and retain UMaine coaches and staff, as well as the Morse Baseball Support Fund, which will provide resources for travel, projects, and other baseball program needs.
 
"This extraordinary commitment from Phillip Morse reflects a deep and enduring belief in the University of Maine and the power of athletics to shape lives and strengthen communities," said UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. "His generosity will have a lasting impact on our student-athletes, our facilities and our ability to compete and succeed at the highest levels. On behalf of the state's only NCAA Division I program, I am extraordinarily grateful to him."
 
In addition, the gift will help to launch the Morse Capital Needs Fund, which will support priority projects across Maine Athletics, including a new turf surface at Morse Field.
 
"Phil and Sue's loyalty and commitment to UMaine Athletics is truly remarkable," said Vice President and Director of Athletics Jude Killy. "We are so appreciative of Phil's continued interest and investment in our student-athletes and sport programs. This gift, on top of Morse Field, Morse Arena and others that Phil and Sue have supported, will aid the future of our department and operations in incredibly meaningful ways. A special thanks to Phil for his generosity and to Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development and Capital Planning Seth Woodcock for helping make this a reality."
 
In December of 2021, Phillip and Susan Morse made a $1 million gift to support the Athletics Facilities Master Plan. The contribution was part of the private fundraising campaign supporting the Alfond Challenge through UMS TRANSFORMS, funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation.

Morse Field at Alfond Sports Stadium, made possible through the generosity of Harold Alfond and the Morse Family, opened in 1998. The Morses pledged $1 million in 2007 to upgrade the field's playing surface, and in 2013, provided an $800,000 gift to install a high-definition video scoreboard.

In 2022, the Morse family committed $10 million for naming rights to Morse Arena.

Morse, vice chairman of the Boston Red Sox since 2004 and a partner since 2002, resides in Lake George, New York, and Jupiter, Florida.

At UMaine, Morse majored in sociology, lettered in baseball, and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Phillip and his late wife, Susan, married in 1966, and settled in Glens Falls, New York. Susan stepped away from teaching to raise their three daughters, Katherine (UMaine '92), Shelley (Middlebury '95) and Lindsey (UVM '98).

Morse founded North American Instrument Corporation in 1969, pioneering the development of the first transparent fluid delivery system for coronary angiography, the Morse Manifold. By 1994, the firm had grown into NAMIC U.S.A. Corporation, an 800-employee manufacturer of medical devices for interventional cardiology and radiology. Morse served as chairman until its sale to Pfizer, Inc. in 1995. Today, the Morse Manifold remains in use in over half of all cardiac catheterization procedures.

-UMaine-