Students at New College of Florida in Sarasota, Fla.
Over three dozen individuals were astounded to discover that a cherished college mentor had bequeathed them the lion’s share of her accumulated wealth. Professor Cris Hassold, who spent over half a century teaching art history at New College of Florida in Sarasota, had quietly built a fortune worth $2.8 million.
Her final act of generosity? Leaving inheritance gifts ranging from $26,000 to $560,000 to former students who never expected such a windfall.
In total, thirty-one former students were named in her will. None of them knew the exact amount they would receive until it was revealed—an emotional moment that changed many lives.
Hassold was celebrated for her offbeat teaching style and the profound personal connections she cultivated with students. Dr. Nicole Archer, now a professor at Montclair State University, remembered her warmly: “She had a collection of students in the same way that she had endless collections of books.”
When Hassold passed away in 2020 at the age of 89, many were stunned to learn of her hidden wealth. Having never married or had children, she left her estate to 36 individuals—31 of them former students—based on her personal closeness to them and what she perceived as their financial needs.
Many recipients used their inheritance for deeply meaningful purposes, including covering medical bills or investing in real estate. One recipient, Nicole Archer, was so stunned by her $100,000 gift that she questioned whether she had misread the check. “I remember following the number with my finger, making sure I understood how many zeros it was.”
She went on to describe their first meeting as life-changing: “Meeting her as a college freshman was the most amazing moment I had ever had. She was just herself. It was a type of woman I had never met.”
Known affectionately for calling her students her “kids,” Hassold often hosted long, thoughtful dinners at local restaurants. There, she would challenge her students to be practical and bold: “What do you want to do and how do you get there? Who do you like to read? Where do they teach? They teach abroad? How do you save up the money to go?”
For many of them, the validation she gave far surpassed anything they had received at home. One such student, Katie Helms, became emotional speaking to The New York Times: “I’ll never get the kind of acknowledgment from my parents that I got from her.” As a queer woman, Helms said simply: “I think about her almost every day.”
