From left to right: Foundation President Jeffery Mills, UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Labat Estate Executrix Joanne Bruno, Esq., and UMaine Athletics Director Jude Killy, at the gift announcement held on October 18, 2024.
ORONO, MAINE: The University of Maine Foundation will be receiving the largest single gift from an individual to support Black Bear athletics in UMaine’s 159-year history – a $16 million donation from the estates of Black Bear alumnus Pierre “Pete” Labat and his wife, Catherine Clair Labat.
“This transformational gift will establish the Pierre D. Labat and Catherine C. Labat Athletic Leadership Fund, which will provide critical support for Black Bear student-athletes and athletic facilities,” said Foundation President/CEO Jeff Mills. “The Labats’ generosity reflects their love for UMaine and their belief in the role athletics can play in helping young people develop and practice self-discipline in the personal, academic, and career aspects of their lives.
“We are honored to steward the Labat legacy in a way that reflects their dedication and spirit,” Mills added.
A native of New York City and the son of French immigrants, Pete Labat successfully pursued a bachelor’s degree in history at UMaine and was a member of the university’s football team. Following his graduation in 1962, he went on to serve his country with distinction as a member of the U.S. Army. He served as an officer in Vietnam and over the course of his military career earned several medals, including the Bronze Star, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Pete Labat had achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at the time of his military retirement in 1986.
The Labats first met in Iran, where Pete was stationed and where Catherine, a native of Belgium, was serving as a traveling physical therapist. They married, and following Pete’s military retirement in 1986, eventually settled in Metuchen, NJ. Catherine passed away in 2021, and Pete died in 2023.
“Pierre and Catherine believed in the power of education and all things international. Having no children or immediate family led them to care about their neighbors, friends, and charities. It’s only natural that Pierre, or Pete as he was known at the University of Maine, would give back to his alma mater. His University of Maine education forged his love of football and provided him leadership and services opportunities via the college’s ROTC Program,” said Labat Estate Executrix Joanne Z. Bruno, Esq. “The skills and knowledge gained at UMaine ably equipped Pierre for a successful army career as a lieutenant colonel serving mainly across Vietnam and the Middle East. And during that career and in Shiraz, Iran, he met his future life partner and wife Catherine – then a young Belgian traveling the world as a visiting physical therapist. I am confident that both Pete and Catherine would be thrilled to know so many students will be able to benefit from the UMaine experience, both in the classroom and in the sports arena, thanks in part to their generous bequest.”
According to the terms of their gift, the funds will be specifically and solely used for the benefit of the university’s Department of Athletics. Purposes include enhancing student support and success, coach and staff recruitment and retention, capital expenditures, and departmental support. This will include the new facilities mostly funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation. The university’s athletics director will determine the specific allocation of funds.
“We are deeply honored by the Labats’ extraordinary generosity,” said UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “His gift represents a remarkable commitment to our university’s mission and the holistic development of our student-athletes. His legacy will enhance our athletic programs and inspire future generations to give back and support their communities.”
The Labat gift will also help UMaine move closer to meeting the $38 million match necessary to leverage the $170 million UMS TRANSFORMS grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation. The Alfond Foundation’s commitment to the Black Bears is one of the largest single contributions to a Division I athletics program in U.S. history.
UMaine Athletic Director Jude Killy shared, “We are immensely grateful for Lt. Col. Labat and Cathy’s incredible generosity and their enduring support for our athletic programs. The Labat’s legacy will inspire our student-athletes to continue to strive for excellence and will help enhance our ability to develop champions with integrity. As a former football student-athlete at UMaine, and a successful professional following his Black Bear playing career, it is only fitting that this selfless generosity will contribute to the success of future student-athletes in perpetuity.”
In recognition of the substantial gift, UMaine President Ferrini-Mundy has approved naming the university’s softball complex after the Labats. The complex is the home to the University of Maine softball program. In addition, the complex is used by area youth and high school teams and allows the university to host state, conference and regional championship events. The complex is part of the Harold Alfond Foundation’s $320 million grant to the University of Maine System, which includes $170 million to support athletic facilities at the University of Maine. The $9.5 million, 90,000 square- foot complex was opened in 2022. A formal dedication will be held at the first home softball game in 2025.
About the University of Maine: As Maine’s only public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, the University of Maine advances learning and discovery through excellence and innovation. Founded in 1865 in Orono, UMaine is the state’s land, sea and space grant university with a regional campus at the University of Maine at Machias. Our students come from all over the world and work with faculty conducting fieldwork around the globe — from the North Atlantic to the Antarctic. Located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation with UMaine Machias located in the homeland of the Passamaquoddy Nation, UMaine’s statewide mission is to foster an environment that creates tomorrow’s leaders. As the state’s flagship institution, UMaine offers nearly 200 degree programs through which students can earn bachelor’s, master’s, professional master’s and doctoral degrees as well as graduate certificates. For more information about UMaine and UMaine Machias, visit umaine.edu/about/quick-facts/ and machias.edu/about-umm/umm-facts/.
