Chris Barter's Scholarship Honors his Grandfather
Ray E. Barter GP '90 Scholarship Fund
Ray E. Barter GP '90 BAF Scholarship Fund
Most grandfathers of 10-year-old boys envision them wearing a football uniform, playing in the surf, or maybe even driving that first car. Chris Barter's envisioned him in the Ivy League. "He always said I would attend one of the best schools in America,'" remembers Chris. "Otherwise, I would never have aspired to such a prestigious institution."
As it happened, the two didn't exactly see eye-to-eye about which school was best. Grandfather Ray Barter preferred MIT. Chris wasn't so sure. "Being from California, I had never seen the east coast campuses, so when I got my acceptances, I wanted to see what they were like," says Chris. "I was absolutely blown away by the students that I met at Brown: Germans, French, Spanish, Russian… I was in a multicultural world totally different from my high school. I could identify with the diversity and the intellectual lifestyle; I could see myself like them in a few years. When I visited the other universities, I didn't have anywhere near that feeling. Brown also offered me the opportunity to study science and literature with equal intensity. In the end, it was an easy choice." Luckily for Chris, he was supported in his decision: "Brown paid my tuition. My grandfather paid my rent."
Chris' facility for analytics and languages led him, after graduation, to opportunities that have kept him abroad. Working out of Goldman Sachs' London office, Chris covered Germany, France, and Italy. Now, he's co-head partner in Moscow.
Living so far from the University makes it difficult - but far from impossible - to retain his campus ties. He maintains a series of friendships in the international community and cherishes research visits from Brown faculty. "Jim Head, a great professor in planetary geology I remember from back then, was just here in Moscow. Meeting with him brought it all home again: no one ever forgets. I talk to my old professors and they really remember. It keeps the bond alive.
"I'm not the kind of guy to go back every year for reunion, but I'm going to go back this year for my 20th. I feel immensely indebted to Brown - and not just for the generous financial aid I received. Now that my resources permit, I am pleased to be able to provide other students with essential financial support. Honoring the individual who believed in me from the beginning just made sense.
"But it's much more than that. Brown defined my horizons; the interests I acquired on campus are those that have served me well during my career. The global economy is the workplace of the future, and Brown is a global launching pad."
