Roe Green can sum up her philosophy of philanthropy with a handful of oranges.
“I have five oranges. I eat one, I save one, and I give three away,” she said.
That spirit of giving is how Green—an arts patron, activist, avid world traveler, CEO of The Roe Green Foundation and a trustee of Case Western Reserve University—has lived her life.
On Wednesday, May 14, Case Western Reserve University President Eric W. Kaler will honor Green’s generosity by presenting her with the President’s Award for Visionary Achievement during convocation at the Veale Convocation, Recreation and Athletic Center. The award is given annually to individuals who provide exceptional philanthropic service to the university, the world and humanity.
“Roe’s passion for doing good, combined with her energy and action are an inspiration,” Kaler said. “The Maltz Performing Arts Center and the School of Law simply would not be the same without her. We deeply appreciate the opportunities Roe’s exceptional support creates for our entire campus community.”
A Beachwood, Ohio native, Green received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Communications from the University of Colorado and a master’s in theatre from Kent State University. Green has professional experience in stage and business management, but she committed herself to philanthropy in 2003. Since then, she has often been referred to as the “fairy godmother of the arts” for her tremendous support for arts programming and organizations throughout the country.
Green’s transformative gifts to Case Western Reserve include a $10 million gift in 2018 to support construction of Phase II of the Maltz Performing Arts Center, which is now home to the 250-seat Roe Green Theater. Since 1999, the Green family has supported the Judge Ben C. Green Professorship—named for Green’s father, the first CWRU School of Law alumnus to be appointed a federal district court judge—at the School of Law. The Roe Green Foundation also generously funded the renovation of the school’s Judge Ben C. Green Library in 2006, as well as the 2020 renovation of the school’s student lounge, known as Ben’s Place.
In 2024, the Roe Green Foundation jointly awarded $2 million to CWRU and University Hospitals to establish the Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Roe Green Medical Education and Research Building, a central facility in which to conduct research, meetings, training and medical care in Kampala, Uganda.
In addition to her service on the Case Western Reserve board of trustees, Green serves on the Kent State University School of Theatre and Dance advisory board, the board of directors of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Jupiter, Florida, and the board of directors of Cleveland Play House, among others. She is a trustee emeritus and namesake to the WomenSafe Green House shelter and resource center in Chardon, Ohio, and serves as a trustee for the University of Colorado Foundation.