Gloria Spina-Friedgen '71

Gloria Spina-Friedgen graduated from SUNY Cortland with a degree in physical education. The Italian Long Islander then made her way to graduate school at Maryland University for her Master’s degree in education. There she met her husband Ralph Friedgen, who eventually became Maryland’s Head Football coach. She stayed at Maryland and became the Coordinator of Alumni Affairs and Outreach in the College of Health and Human Performance.

That position, however, pales in comparison to the work that she has done for the College in other ways. Gloria sits in the stands, yells at the refs, helps to tutor the players, raises money for the University and the program, monitors and posts on the team’s unofficial message board, shakes every hand and remembers almost every name, throws together tail gate parties for the home games (with home cooked Italian food, of course), and sticks up for the team when the hecklers get too fierce.

Obviously Gloria understands the value of campus community. In 2007 she endowed the Gloria Spina-Friedgen ’71 scholarship, available to one senior per year, who shows excellent academics and financial need. He or she must be a physical or secondary/elementary education major with a 3.0 GPA.