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Largest Private Gifts to Higher Education in 2018

By Chronicle Staff February 17, 2019

Twenty-five private gifts valued at $50 million or more were announced by colleges and universities in the 2018 calendar year. Donors gave money in support of scholarships and need-based student aid, medical research, computer-science schools, and professorships in philosophy, among other causes.

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Twenty-five private gifts valued at $50 million or more were announced by colleges and universities in the 2018 calendar year. Donors gave money in support of scholarships and need-based student aid, medical research, computer-science schools, and professorships in philosophy, among other causes.

RankInstitutionDonorSource of wealthGift valuePurpose
1. Johns Hopkins U. Michael R. Bloomberg co-founder of the media company Bloomberg and former mayor of New York $1.8 billion financial aid for qualified low- and middle-income students, with the goal of making admissions permanently need-blind
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Stephen A. Schwarzman co-founder of the Blackstone Group, a private-equity firm in New York $350 million establishment of the Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing, which will integrate computer science, artificial intelligence, and related fields across MIT’s five schools, and will create a deanship and 50 faculty positions
3. Harvard Medical School Blavatnik Family Foundation (Len Blavatnik) Len Blavatnik, who earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1989, is founder and chairman of Access Industries, a New York investment company with holdings in media, telecommunications, natural resources, chemicals, and real estate. $200 million (pledge) support for medical research to develop new therapies and tools to diagnose, prevent, and treat disease; provision of space for biotech start-ups in the new Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab Longwood; and naming of the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School
3. Mayo Clinic Jay Alix founder of AlixPartners, a consulting firm on global corporate turnarounds in New York $200 million naming gift for what will be known as the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, in support of scholarships, curricular innovation, and a professorship
5. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History Edward P. Bass chairman of Fine Line, an investment and venture-capital management firm, in Fort Worth; an heir to an oil fortune; and a 1967 Yale alumnus $160 million support for renovations and expansion of the museum
6. U. of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus Anschutz Foundation (Philip Anschutz) Philip Anschutz is owner of the Los Angeles Kings hockey team and a third of the L.A. Lakers basketball team as well as holdings in entertainment, oil, railroads, real estate, and telecommunications. He is a co-founder of Major League Soccer. $120 million support for a new health-sciences building, research, faculty recruitment and retention, technology transfer, and other programs
7. U. of Michigan at Ann Arbor Richard and Susan Rogel Richard Rogel, a 1970 Michigan graduate, is president of the investment firm Tomay, and founder and former chairman and chief executive of the Preferred Provider Organization of Michigan. $110 million (pledge) support for scholarships for medical students and for research, treatments, and endowed professorships at the Comprehensive Cancer Center, which was renamed the Rogel Cancer Center
8. Amherst College anonymous a graduate of the college $100 million challenge gift to match other gifts to the college’s capital campaign, which aims to raise funds for student aid, faculty support, a new interdisciplinary science center, and other causes
8. Brown U. Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Robert Carney, a 1961 graduate of Brown and a member of its Board of Trustees, is chairman of Vacation Publications, in Houston, and was founder of Texas Air Corporation, which owned Continental and other airlines. Nancy Carney is a former television-news producer. $100 million support to help the Brown Institute for Brain Science work toward developing new treatments and cures for neurological conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; the institute was renamed the Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science
8. Harvard U. anonymous a graduate of Harvard in the 1990s and his wife $100 million support for Harvard’s Science Center, collaborations and a fellowship in mathematics, and resources for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
8. National U. system T. Denny Sanford chairman of United National Corporation, the holding company of First Premier Bank and Premier Bankcard, in South Dakota $100 million expansion of the system’s nationwide Sanford Harmony social-emotional learning program aimed at helping children in preschool through sixth grade to form strong relationships and to avoid abuse, bullying behavior, and, later, divorce
8. United World College system Shelby Davis founder and former chief executive, now retired, of the investment-management firm Davis Advisors, in Boston $100 million (pledge) support to endow 100 annual scholarships a year for 20 years to enable international students to attend one of the system’s 17 campuses around the world, including in New Mexico
13. Western State Colorado U. Paul M. Rady chief executive and chairman of Antero Resources, an oil and natural-gas company in Denver, and Antero Midstream Partners, and a 1978 graduate of Western $80 million support for establishment of the new Paul M. Rady School of Computer Science and Engineering, including a new building
14. Johns Hopkins U. William H. Miller III founder of the investment firm Miller Value Partners, former manager of Legg Mason Capital Management Value Trust fund, and a former graduate student in philosophy at Johns Hopkins $75 million creation of an endowed professorship for the chair of the philosophy department, eight other endowed professorships, and endowed support for junior faculty members, philosophy graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, as well as support for undergraduate study of philosophy
15. Princeton U. Perelman Family Foundation (Ronald O. and Debra G. Perelman) Ronald Perelman is chairman and chief executive of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, in New York, and chairman of the cosmetics company Revlon. Debra Perelman, his daughter and a 1996 Princeton alumna, is chief executive of Revlon. $65 million establishment of Perelman College, the university’s seventh residential college, which will help advance the institution’s goal of expanding undergraduate enrollment by 10 percent
16. Amherst College anonymous n/a $50 million gift to a comprehensive campaign intended to support the college’s new interdisciplinary science center, hiring of more faculty members, and need-based scholarships
16. Brown U., Warren Alpert Medical School Samuel M. and Ann S. Mencoff Samuel Mencoff is co-founder and co-chief executive of the private-equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners, in Chicago. A 1978 Brown alumnus, he also serves as chancellor of the Corporation of Brown University. $50 million support for endowed professorships, medical research, and medical education at the Brown Institute of Translational Science
16. Carleton College Wally and Barbara Weitz and family Wally Weitz is founder of Weitz Investments, in Omaha, a 1970 Carleton alumnus, and chairman of Carleton’s Board of Trustees $50 million (pledge) contribution to the college’s capital campaign, which aims to increase financial aid and experiential-learning opportunities like internships
16. Carnegie Mellon U. Tod and Cindy Johnson Tod Johnson is executive chairman of the NPD Group, a financial advisory-services company in New York, and vice chair of Carnegie Mellon’s Board of Trustees. The couple are 1960s alumni of the university. $50 million (pledge) endowment to support undergraduate scholarships and programs to help students persist and graduate
16. Northeastern U. Amin and Julie Khoury Amin Khoury, a member of Northeastern’s Board of Trustees, co-founded B/E Aerospace, and created several scientific-equipment companies. He and his wife, Julie, both earned M.B.A.s at Northeastern. $50 million endowment for the renamed Khoury College of Computer and Information Sciences
16. Oregon State U. Gary R. Carlson physician and partner in Dermatology Associates of Westlake Village, in California, and a 1974 Oregon State alumnus $50 million support for the College of Veterinary Medicine, which has been named for the donor, and for the expansion of the university’s Small Animal Hospital
16. St. John’s College (Annapolis, Md., and Santa Fe, N.M.) Winiarski Family Foundation (Warren and Barbara Winiarski) Warren Winiarski founded Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, which was sold to a joint venture in 2007 for $185 million. He owns Arcadia Vineyards in the Napa Valley region of California. The couple are alumni of St. John’s. $50 million (pledge) matching challenge pledge for a capital campaign that is intended to allow the college to end “prestige pricing” and lower published tuition by about a third
16. Saint Louis U. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield Rex Sinquefield, a Saint Louis alumnus and member of the Board of Trustees, is a co-founder and retired executive vice president of the investment firm Dimensional Fund Advisors. Jeanne Sinquefield is a retired executive vice president of the firm. $50 million support for the establishment of the Saint Louis University Research Institute and the Sinquefield Center for Applied Economic Research, and for the university’s chess team
16. U. of California at San Diego Andrew J. Viterbi co-founder and retired vice chairman of Qualcomm and an engineering professor emeritus at the university $50 million naming gift for the Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and the Viterbi Family Vision Research Center; endowment of six new professorships
16. U. of Pennsylvania, Wharton School Marc J. and Carolyn Rowan Marc Rowan co-founded the private-equity firm Apollo Global Management. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Wharton in 1984 and an M.B.A. in 1985. $50 million support for the Penn Wharton Budget Model, an economic-policy analysis program, and for new professorships and fellowships

Note: The largest gifts to higher education that were announced by colleges and universities from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018, are listed here. Gifts and biographical information were compiled from news articles, news releases, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s database of charitable gifts. The database compiles gifts of $1 million or more from 2005 to the present.The Chronicle of Higher Education maintains a separate list of major gifts of $50 million or more to colleges and universities, dating back to 1967. The value of gifts is based on information from institutions or donors at the time the gifts were promised or received. In cases of stock, property, art, and other noncash donations, actual value may have increased or decreased since the gifts were pledged or received. Grants are excluded. Gifts of the same amount are listed alphabetically by institution. Information on gifts can be sent to gifts@philanthropy.com. Questions or comments on the Chronicle List should be sent to Ruth Hammond.

A version of this article appeared in the February 22, 2019, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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