Southern Connecticut State University hosted the inaugural observance of Varian Fry Day on Wednesday, October 15, 2025—what would have been the American journalist’s 118th birthday. The event, held in Engleman Hall, commemorated Fry’s heroic efforts to rescue more than 2,000 refugees—many of them Jewish—from Nazi-occupied France during World War II.
Fry’s legacy was honored through remarks from Connecticut legislators, faculty scholars, and community leaders, alongside student readings from Fry’s writings and a special video message from his son, Dr. James Fry.
The initiative was spearheaded by Dr. David Pettigrew, CSU Professor and chair of the philosophy department, whose advocacy led to the unanimous passage of Public Act No. 25-59, officially recognizing Fry with a statewide day of remembrance.
Pettigrew received a citation from the Connecticut General Assembly at the end of the program, acknowledging his work as an educator raising awareness about Fry on the occasion of the first official commemoration.
“Varian Fry Day is important because it means we have kept our hearts open to the hope that remembering Varian Fry, and educating others about his work and courage, can be transformative,” said Pettigrew. “His story is a lesson in moral clarity and civil courage—precisely the kind of legacy we must uplift in times of division.”
“Because of what Varian did in Marseille in 1940, thousands are alive today,” said Rabbi Emeritus Alvin Wainhaus of Congregation Or Shalom.
Fry remains the first American named “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem, Israel’s official Holocaust memorial.
📰 Watch the full story on WTNH: Connecticut celebrates first Varian Fry Day – Meet the man behind the name
