Class of 1977 and Family of Lawrence M. Payne '77

Family and friends of UMass Amherst alumnus Lawrence M. Payne ’77 contributed to a scholarship in his memory. A Newton native, Mr. Payne, who was known as “Lawry,” graduated from UMass Amherst with a BA in political Science. He was also a member of the University Honors Program. He perished in an airplane crash in Croatia while on a trade mission with U.S. Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown. Before joining the U.S. Commerce Department, Payne served on the staff of Sen. Paul E. Tsongas, on the Tsongas presidential campaign in 1992, and was owner and operator of J. B. Scoops ice cream shops in Wellesley and Boston.