Robert Longo ’72, Donates $100,000 to BEF to Support BHS Arts

In a remarkable act of generosity and dedication to the arts, Robert Longo, a proud member of the Bloomfield High School Class of 1972, has donated $100,000 to the Bloomfield Educational Foundation to help BHS to support its band, choir, and musical theater programs. The gift will directly fund instruments, performance opportunities, production costs, and other essential resources to enrich the experience of student performers for years to come.

Reflecting on his own time at BHS, Longo recalls a vibrant and formative experience: “A lot has happened, much of it unplanned, in the 53 years since I threw that blue cap into the sky along with my 660 classmates,” he said. “While I wasn’t much of a football player, I found my place in the choir and on stage in two All-School productions. But what I’m most proud of are the three years I managed the baseball team and the one year I managed the soccer team with my good friend Bob Ley, who went on to a forty-year career with ESPN.”

Longo went on to earn degrees in accounting and management from Montclair State University in 1976, followed by an MBA from Seton Hall in 1979. His professional career spanned four decades in financial management roles across major corporations, while simultaneously teaching evening accounting courses—an endeavor he began at age 25 and continues to this day. He earned both CPA and CMA certifications in the early 1980s.

In 1994, an unexpected corporate acquisition relocated Longo 3,000 miles away to southern Oregon. There, he later retired from his executive role to become a Senior Business Instructor at Oregon State University and part-time Finance Manager at a local nonprofit.

However, Longo considers his most important and rewarding role to be that of a father. Over the years, he became the single adoptive parent of nine teenage boys who were previously stuck in the foster care system. His sons—who came into his life at ages ranging from 12 to 18—are now between the ages of 15 and 58. “This has been the most challenging part of my life,” Longo said, “but also the part that gives me the most satisfaction of having made a difference.”

Longo’s donation honors the teachers, mentors, and experiences that helped shape him and aims to ensure that future students have the same opportunities to discover their voice, their confidence, and their talents through music and performance.

Chairman Terry Mullane of the Bloomfield Educational Foundation expressed his deep appreciation: “This is an extraordinary gift from an extraordinary alumnus. Bob’s generosity will have an immediate and lasting impact on our students. His story is a powerful reminder that the arts matter. We are profoundly grateful.”