Librarian Who Lived Simply Left $4 Million Fortune To UNH

DURHAM, N.H. (CBS) – Robert Morin lived the simple life.

The University of New Hampshire librarian "never went out," ate mostly frozen dinners and drove an older vehicle, according to The Union Leader.

And when the 77-year-old died about a year ago, he left the school where he worked for nearly 50 years all of the money he had quietly accumulated – a $4 million estate.

"Bob's demonstrated commitment to UNH through his philanthropy is tremendously inspiring," said UNH President Mark Huddleston in a statement. "His generous gift allows us to address a number of university priorities."

Most of the money – $2.5 million – will go toward launching a bigger career center for students and alumni. Another million will fund a video scoreboard at the school's new football stadium because Morin developed a keen interest in football during his last months at an assisted living center.

The longtime library cataloger made only one specific request with his gift – that $100,000 be used to support those who want to study library science, and also to renovate a multimedia room in the library.

Morin wasn't a big spender, but he kept busy. UNH said Morin was passionate about movies, and watched more than 22,000 videos from 1979 to 1997. He also read every book published in America between 1930 and 1940, excluding children's books, textbooks and books about cooking and technology, UNH said.

The Union-Leader reported that Morin did not have any relatives he wanted to leave his fortune to, and trusted the school to spend it wisely.

"This is an extraordinary gift that comes at a critical time for launching a number of initiatives that are only able to move forward because of his generosity," said Deborah Dutton, president of the UNH Foundation, in a statement.