Billionaire Ridgewood Alum Gives $635K To Science, Tech Programs

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Dave Duffield has made a lot of money since he graduated from Ridgewood High School in 1958.

In the years since he's founded Workday and PeopleSoft, acquiring a net worth of $13.3 billion, according to Forbes. Duffield has made a lasting impact in the software industry, and on Monday, he likely made a lasting impact on his alma mater.

The Ridgewood High School Alumni Association (RHSAA) presented the Board of Education with a $635,000 gift from the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation at the board's Monday meeting. That donation will go toward funding a science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) initiative, which will be named for Duffield.

It was the largest single donation ever given to Ridgewood High School.

"We are proud to be able to give back to my alma mater, Ridgewood High School," said Duffield.

"We hope that the Duffield STEAM Initiative helps to inspire students to become the next generation of leaders in the world of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics."

The initiative will include upgrades and renovations to three areas of the high school to support "the growing needs of its robust curricular program."

Among those improvements will be an expansion of The Innovation and Makerspace Lab, which will be "upgraded with the latest technology and equipment to support this increasingly important area of study."

The RHS Media Lab will now have a new Digital TV Studio with "leading-edge" audio and visual equipment, "giving students access to high-tech systems used by the industry," and the Culinary Arts Lab will undergo modernization with new cooking stations, commercial grade work tables, appliances and equipment, according to the RHSAA.

"We are extremely grateful for the generous gift from the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation. Dave Duffield is a leader in his field and a renowned philanthropist, who possesses and demonstrates the many qualities that we nurture in our students for future success. We are thrilled that the Duffield STEAM Initiative will be a part of his legacy," said Superintendent Thomas Gorman.

"The improvements to some of our most widely-used STEAM spaces will contribute significantly to the real-world application of the curriculum."

Ridgewood schools offer STEAM experiences starting at the elementary school level, and with STEAM programs as part of the curriculum. There are also a number of co-curricular clubs in the areas of STEAM, including the RHS-TV Club, the Applied Engineering Club, STEM Club and First Tech Challenge Robotics.

Who is Dave Duffield?

An alumnus of Ridgewood High School, Dave Duffield, 80, is the founder of PeopleSoft, and co-founder of Workday, both "enterprise software companies," according to Forbes, who found that Duffield is the 156th richest person in the world in 2021.

His philanthropic efforts have included donations totaling $345 milion to Maddie's Fund, and at least $400 million to other causes and organizations, including his collegiate alma matter, Cornell University.

Though his successes in the business world define his legacy — he sold PeopleSoft to Oracle for $10.7 billion in 2005 — Duffield's time at Ridgewood High isn't without highlights.

According to the RHSAA, Duffield earned the school's highest honor in math while also serving as the co-captain of the baseball team.

He earned All-State honors for Ridgewood, and also recorded the first no-hitter in school history, according to the alumni association.

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