S. Prestley Blake

S. Prestley Blake is a co-founder of the Friendly Ice Cream Corporation (known more commonly as "Friendly's"). He attended the Northfield Mount Hermon School where Blake Hall (the Student Center, Student Activities office, the Pres Box Snack Bar,the NMH Book Store, and the Mail Center) stands as a testament to his generosity and love of the school. He and his brother Curtis founded the national restaurant outfit during the Great Depression. Friendly's is now a publicly-traded corporation.

The company that Blake founded in Springfield, Massachusetts is now based in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. Blake, now a minority shareholder in Friendly's, lives in Connecticut. He is highly critical of recent management and has actively worked to influence company policy, including proxy elections in 2007. Recently the 92 year-old Blake has increased his stake in the company and is working with other shareholders to redress alleged executive abuses at Friendly's. Blake has used his investment in the company to push for changes in the firm's operations.

The S. Prestley Blake Law Center is the home of Western New England College's School of Law. It is in the midst of a $5.5 million expansion as part of the Western New England College's "Transformations" campaign. Blake donated a substantial amount to the renovation.