Ruth and Jerry Blanch with their son, Gregory (Greg) Francesco Blanch.
The Brancati Foundation is incorporated in New Mexico and supports activities, scholarship, and research associated with education, leadership, and ethics. The Brancati Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 27-1876725. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.
The Foundation was formed in 2010 in tribute to Jerry and Ruth Blanch. As part of the great wave of 20th century immigrant Italian families, these two people found their way together through the Great Depression and its aftermath. They sacrificed and endured much to create a better life for their family and for their community and nation.
Jerry and Ruth Blanch understood the inherent economic value of education and conveyed this proposition to others during their lives.
The Foundation was formed in 2010 in tribute to Jerry and Ruth Blanch. As part of the great wave of 20th century immigrant Italian families, these two people found their way together through the Great Depression and its aftermath. They sacrificed and endured much to create a better life for their family and for their community and nation.
Jerry and Ruth Blanch understood the inherent economic value of education and conveyed this proposition to others during their lives.
Brancati, a Very American Story
Gregorio Brancati was born on January 18, 1878 in Gallina, Italy. He and his wife emigrated to the United States in 1903 and made their home in Lyon Mountain, NY. They had five children, including a son named Antonio Brancati, whose nickname was Jerry. In response to anti-Italian sentiment, Gregorio Brancati changed his name to Gregorio Blanch, the Americanized version of Brancati. The decree authorizing this name change also permitted the change to apply to his children, including his son Jerry. However, when Jerry married Ruth Manziona on June 3, 1927, he listed his legal name as Anthony Brancati. And, following the marriage, Ruth hyphenated her name as Ruth Manziona-Brancati. It’s not clear when Jerry and Ruth began to use the surname Blanch exclusively. When they welcomed their only child, a son, in 1944, they named him Gregory Blanch, after his paternal grandfather, Gregorio Brancati.
Despite their very American surname, the Blanch family was 100% Italian. Jerry was born in the United States, but his family moved back to Italy for most of his formative years. He went to school in Italy and was fluent in the language, a source of pride in the family. Ruth was born in a small town near Bari in southern Italy, but brought to America as an infant and grew up in New York. Still, she embraced Italian culture and traditions. She could speak Italian, although it wasn’t always grammatically correct as her husband was happy to point out.
Their son, Gregory, would be the first to admit that he lived a wonderful life. He had a charisma that drew people to him. He was incredibly intelligent, had a sharp wit, and worked and traveled all over the world, spending as much time as he could in his beloved Italy. He was a life-long learner, especially devoted to Dante, Italian culture, and food, and spent the last 25 years of his life as a college professor teaching organizational management courses that focused on ethics. It was during this period of his life that the idea of establishing a charitable foundation began to germinate. From the very beginning, he knew that the foundation would focus on education and that it would bear his family’s original name.
The Brancati Foundation honors the memory of Jerry, Ruth and Greg Blanch and continues their work to secure equal educational opportunities for all, especially in leadership and ethics.
Despite their very American surname, the Blanch family was 100% Italian. Jerry was born in the United States, but his family moved back to Italy for most of his formative years. He went to school in Italy and was fluent in the language, a source of pride in the family. Ruth was born in a small town near Bari in southern Italy, but brought to America as an infant and grew up in New York. Still, she embraced Italian culture and traditions. She could speak Italian, although it wasn’t always grammatically correct as her husband was happy to point out.
Their son, Gregory, would be the first to admit that he lived a wonderful life. He had a charisma that drew people to him. He was incredibly intelligent, had a sharp wit, and worked and traveled all over the world, spending as much time as he could in his beloved Italy. He was a life-long learner, especially devoted to Dante, Italian culture, and food, and spent the last 25 years of his life as a college professor teaching organizational management courses that focused on ethics. It was during this period of his life that the idea of establishing a charitable foundation began to germinate. From the very beginning, he knew that the foundation would focus on education and that it would bear his family’s original name.
The Brancati Foundation honors the memory of Jerry, Ruth and Greg Blanch and continues their work to secure equal educational opportunities for all, especially in leadership and ethics.