Montclair Professor Among 31 Students Who Received Mentor’s Final Gift: Her Life Savings

When The New York Times ran a story about a beloved art history professor from New College of Florida who bequeathed her life savings to 31 former students, it struck a national chord. For Montclair State University’s Nicole Archer, the tribute felt deeply personal.

Archer was one of those 31 students. She remembers the moment she learned about the gift from her former professor, Cris Hassold. She assumed it would be something small – maybe enough for a dinner or a keepsake. But the $100,000 she received changed her life. “I literally opened my first savings account with it.”

Still, Archer adds:

The true inheritance isn’t about money – it was about the way Cris taught me to look at the world. The real gift was the way she encouraged me to think deeply, challenge assumptions, and approach art and history with openness and curiosity. It’s something I try to pass on to my students here at Montclair.”

Now the incoming chair of the Department of Art and Design, Archer reflects on how much of her path has been shaped by Hassold’s influence.

“I didn’t start with a clear plan. I was 18, unsure, and not convinced college was for me,” she says. “But meeting Cris changed everything.”

Archer joined Montclair in 2018 to teach Visual and Critical Studies. She was drawn to the University because so many of its students reminded her of herself – driven, curious and navigating the financial and personal challenges that can make higher education feel out of reach.

“I come from a family with a lot of heart and a lot of love – but not a lot of financial means,” she says. At her father’s urging, she applied to New College in Sarasota – and got in with a full scholarship. 

“Studying art helped me see value that wasn’t economic. I learned to see cultural value – and to understand that culture has the power to shape identity and meaning,” she says.

It’s a lesson she now shares with her Montclair students.

“If I can do anything for my students, it’s to help them recognize the value of culture – the cultures they come from, the ones they maintain and embody.”

She adds, “I love those moments when a student sees something in class and says, ‘Wait! This is what I grew up with — I didn’t know it was valuable.’ And I get to say, ‘It is, but this is because you and your community make it meaningful. It’s valuable because you’re valuable.’ That’s what Cris did for me. And that’s what I try to do for them.”

Over the years, Archer has received emails from former students about works of art they recently saw and recognized from her class. “In those moments, I feel their world expanding. It gives me chills. That’s the dream – not teaching students what to think, but how to think.”

Carrying the Legacy Forward

Archer is currently completing research for a new book on the role of textiles in shaping cultures of violence. She’s also curating a 2026 exhibition marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, using the American flag to explore themes of political participation, empowerment and community.

One of her most treasured possessions is a photograph from her college graduation in 1999. “Cris was camera shy,” Archer says. “She only let us take a photo with her on graduation day. That picture has followed me everywhere – London, California. It’s always been with me.”

When she looks at it now, she sees more than a moment.

“I see the beginning of everything – grad school, teaching, publishing, mentoring. Every time I help a student take that next step, it feels like I’m honoring Cris’s legacy.”

Story by Marilyn Joyce Lehren, University Communications and Marketing

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