The Slate60

The 2004 Slate 60: Pledges

The 60 largest American charitable contributions of the year.

Introduction to the 2004 Slate 60.

The 2004 Slate 60 list.

Philanthropists who made pledges.

William H. (Bill) III and Melinda F. Gates—a $3.35 billion pledge, of which $627 million was paid in 2004: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill Gates, 49, chairman and chief software architect of the Microsoft Corp., in Redmond, Wash., and his wife, Melinda, 39, pledged approximately $3.35 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in Seattle. The foundation, which the couple created in 2000, supports education, global health, libraries, and charities in the Pacific Northwest. This most recent infusion of cash came from a Microsoft stock dividend that Bill Gates received in late 2004. The foundation expects to receive the funds in installments over several years, and the exact amount of the gift will depend on fluctuations in the value of Microsoft stock. The foundation had received $627 million by Dec. 28, 2004. (A profile of the Gates Foundation appeared in the Nov. 11, 2004, issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy.)

Eli and Edythe L. Broad—a $100 million pledge to the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Foundation, the Broad Foundation, and the Broad Art Foundation. Eli Broad, 71, founding chairman of KB Home Corp. and of SunAmerica, and his wife, Edythe, 68, pledged $100 million to be distributed among the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Foundation and the Broad Foundation, both in Los Angeles, and the Broad Art Foundation, in Santa Monica, Calif. The funds, which will be paid in 2005, are earmarked for scientific and medical research, education-improvement efforts, and the Broad Contemporary Art Museum at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Alfred E. Mann—a $100 million pledge to the American Technion Society. Mann, 79, co-chief executive officer of the Advanced Bionics Corp., in Sylmar, Calif., and chairman and chief executive officer of the MannKind Corp., a biomedical-research company in Valencia, Calif., pledged $100 million to the American Technion Society, in New York City, for Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The money will be used to create and endow the Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering at the university, which is located in Haifa, Israel. Mann says that he intends to endow a dozen such institutes at universities identified by a committee. Each institute, says Mann, will use the expertise at that particular university to develop medical devices that he hopes can contribute to the treatment and eventual cure of medical problems.

Family of Leonard M. Miller—a $100 million pledge to the University of Miami, School of Medicine. The family of Leonard Miller, who died in 2002 at 69 and was the founder and chairman of the Lennar Corp., a home-construction company, pledged $100 million in his memory to the University of Miami’s School of Medicine. The university has since named the school after him. The Miller family is scheduled to pay $12 million this year, and the remainder of the pledge over the next 16 years. The funds will be used to establish four professorships, to recruit students, and to support the school’s academic mission. Although Miller did not attend the university, he served on its board of trustees for 20 years, including four years as chairman.

Stephen M. Ross—a $100 million pledge to the University of Michigan, School of Business. Ross, 64, a real-estate developer and chairman and chief executive officer of the Related Companies, in New York City, pledged $100 million to the University of Michigan’s School of Business, in Ann Arbor. Of that total, $75 million is designated for facilities, and $25 million will augment the school’s endowment. A university spokesman declined to give an amount, but said the school—which is now called the Stephen M. Ross School of Business—received a portion of the pledge in 2004. The pledge will count toward the school’s $350 million capital campaign. Ross, whose company developed the Time Warner Center, in New York City, graduated from the University of Michigan’s business school in 1962 with a degree in accounting.

Samuel and Rita Garvin—a $60 million pledge, of which $10 million was paid in 2004 to Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management. Samuel Garvin, 40, founder and chief executive officer of the Continental Promotion Group, and his wife, Rita, 36, of Scottsdale, Ariz., pledged $60 million to Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management, in Glendale, Ariz. The university has since been renamed Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Management. The university will allot two-thirds, or $40 million, of the pledge to its endowment to support academic programs, faculty members, and scholarships. The remaining $20 million is unrestricted. The couple paid $10 million of the pledge in 2004, and the remainder is scheduled to be paid by 2007. Samuel Garvin graduated from Thunderbird with an M.B.A. in 1988. The Continental Promotion Group is a commercial-fulfillment business.

Bill and Dee Brehm—a $59.5 million pledge, of which $885,000 was paid in 2004 to the University of Michigan Health System, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Eastern Michigan University. Bill Brehm, 75, chairman emeritus of SRA International, in Fairfax, Va., and assistant secretary of defense under Presidents Nixon and Ford, and his wife, Dee, 74, pledged $44 million to the University of Michigan Health System, in Ann Arbor, to create a research center devoted to finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes. Mrs. Brehm was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, which usually occurs in children and young adults, 55 years ago. The couple, who live in McLean, Va., designated $30 million to construct the facility, $9.8 million to support faculty positions, $2 million to support a comprehensive diabetes center at the university’s medical school, and $1.5 million to endow the new diabetes-research center. The remaining $700,000 will go toward scholarships for graduates of Fordson High School, in Dearborn, Mich., which Bill Brehm attended. The Brehms also pledged $15 million, of which $885,000 was paid in 2004, to Fuller Theological Seminary, in Pasadena, Calif. The money will be used to construct a new worship center. The Brehms also pledged $500,000 to Eastern Michigan University, in Ypsilanti, Mrs. Brehm’s alma mater, for an endowed scholarship for students who want to become special-education teachers.

David and Marlene Tepper—a $55 million pledge, of which $5 million was paid in 2004 to Carnegie Mellon University, School of Business. David Tepper, 47, founder and president of Appaloosa Management, a hedge-fund investment firm in Chatham, N.J., and his wife, Marlene, pledged $55 million to Carnegie Mellon University’s business school, in Pittsburgh, now called the Tepper School of Business. The couple paid $5 million in 2004, and plans to pay $5 million annually for the next five years, with the remaining $25 million to be paid in increments that are not yet determined. Most of the money will augment the school’s endowment. David Tepper grew up in Pittsburgh and graduated from Carnegie Mellon in 1982 with a master’s degree in industrial administration.

Andrew J. and Erna Viterbi—a $52 million pledge to the University of Southern California, School of Engineering. Andrew Viterbi, 69, a co-founder of Qualcomm, in San Diego, and his wife, Erna, pledged $52 million to the University of Southern California’s School of Engineering, in Los Angeles, now called the Viterbi School of Engineering. The money will be added to the school’s endowment. Andrew Viterbi is the inventor of the Viterbi algorithm, which allows the accurate and rapid decoding of numerous overlapping signals and is embedded in most cell phones. He received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the university in 1962, and has taught at the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of California-San Diego. Last year Andrew Viterbi agreed to become a professor of electrical-engineering systems at USC’s engineering school.

Darla Moore—a $45 million pledge to the University of South Carolina at Columbia, Moore School of Business. Moore, 50, executive vice president of Rainwater Inc., a private investment firm, pledged $45 million to the University of South Carolina at Columbia’s Moore School of Business. The gift—which was made in the form of a charitable remainder unitrust—will help renovate the school’s facilities, endow professorships, and support scholarships. Moore, who graduated from the university in 1975 with a B.A. in political science and earned an M.B.A. from George Washington University, has challenged the university to match her $45 million gift. The university plans to raise $30 million in private support and $15 million in public funds. Moore, who grew up and lives in Lake City, S.C., made a $25 million gift to the school in 1998, and university officials named the school in her honor.

Bill and Sue Gross—a $23.5 million pledge to Duke University and a $20 million pledge, of which $4 million was paid in 2004 to the Hoag Hospital Foundation. Bill Gross, 60, the chief investment officer and a co-founder of Pacific Investments Management Co., in Newport Beach, Calif., and his wife, Sue, pledged $23.5 million to Duke University, in Durham, N.C., and $20 million to the Hoag Hospital Foundation, in Newport Beach. The couple designated the gift to Duke, Bill Gross’ alma mater, to endow scholarships for undergraduate and medical students, and to support faculty members and fill other needs at the business school. The hospital foundation will use half its gift to construct a new women’s-health facility at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, while the other half will endow the Women’s Wellness Center and buy digital mammography equipment for the hospital. The foundation has received $4 million of the gift, and the remainder is scheduled to be paid over four years.

Sidney E. Frank—a $42 million pledge to Brown University, Norwich Free Academy Foundation, and White Plains Hospital Center. Frank, 85, of New Rochelle, N.Y., the chairman and founder of the Sidney Frank Importing Co. and the creator of the Grey Goose brand of vodka, pledged $20 million to Brown University, in Providence, R.I., for an academic building. Frank attended Brown for one year in the late 1930s, but left because he could not afford the tuition. Frank, who graduated from the Norwich Free Academy in 1938, also pledged $12 million to the Norwich Free Academy Foundation, in Connecticut, for the school’s endowment. He also pledged $10 million to White Plains Hospital Center, in White Plains, N.Y., for its capital campaign.

Curtis Priem—a $40 million pledge to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Priem, 45, co-founder of the Nvidia Corp., a computer-graphics company in Santa Clara, Calif., pledged $40 million to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in Troy, N.Y. The unrestricted gift, scheduled to be paid over several years, was made to the institute’s capital campaign, which is seeking to raise $1 billion by the end of 2008. The Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, now under construction, will be named in Priem’s honor. Priem graduated from the institute in 1982 with a degree in electrical, computer, and systems engineering, and serves on its board of trustees.

Robert W. Wilson—a $36.9 million pledge to the New York Public Library and the World Monuments Fund. Wilson, 78, a financier who lives in New York City, pledged $25 million to the New York Public Library. The library will use a large portion of the funds to acquire new materials, catalog archival collections at its Library for the Performing Arts, preserve books and other materials, and develop technology to improve its online catalog and other resources. Wilson also pledged $11.9 million to the World Monuments Fund, in New York City, where he serves as vice chairman and treasurer.

Dan L. Duncan—a $35 million pledge to Baylor College of Medicine. Duncan, 72, founder and chairman of Enterprise Products Partners, an energy company in Houston, pledged $35 million to the Baylor College of Medicine’s capital campaign. The gift will be used to construct the Baylor Clinic, an ambulatory-care center. The Duncan family is scheduled to fulfill the pledge over 10 years. Duncan is a member of the college’s board of trustees.

Mignon C. Smith—a $35 million pledge to J. Craig and Page T. Smith Scholarship Foundation and the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. Smith, 74, a textile heiress who lives in Washington, D.C., pledged $30 million in stock to the J. Craig and Page T. Smith Scholarship Foundation, in Birmingham, Ala., to be received upon her death. She also made a separate gift of $10 million in stock to establish the foundation, which is named after her parents, and which will provide college scholarships to Alabama students with a record of community service. Smith also made a second pledge of $5 million to the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa to establish a professorship focusing on integrity in business. Her father was president of Avondale Mills, a textile company that has operations in several Southern states.

John P. and Tashia F. Morgridge—a $31 million pledge to the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Morgridge, 71, chairman of Cisco Systems, a telecommunications-equipment company in San Jose, Calif., and his wife, Tashia, 72, pledged $31 million to the University of Wisconsin at Madison to renovate the 104-year-old building that houses the School of Education, including the restoration of its Beaux Arts architectural features. John Morgridge is a 1955 graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison’s School of Business, and Tashia Morgridge is a 1955 graduate of the School of Education.

Jim Clark—a $30 million pledge, of which $5 million was paid in 2004, to Tulane University. Clark, 60, a co-founder of Netscape, in Mountain View, Calif., pledged $30 million to Tulane University, in New Orleans, to endow scholarships for undergraduate students. Clark, a member of Tulane’s board, plans to pay the money over five years, and $5 million has been received to date. Clark attended Tulane before receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from the University of New Orleans and a doctorate in computer science from the University of Utah.

David Filo—a $30 million pledge, of which $15.4 million was paid in 2004, to Tulane University. Filo, 38, a co-founder of Yahoo!, in Sunnyvale, Calif., pledged $30 million to Tulane University, in New Orleans, for scholarships for undergraduate students. The university received $15.4 million in 2004. Filo received a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Tulane in 1988. He plans to pay the remainder of the gift, which consists of securities, over five years.

Ernest Rady—a $15 million pledge, of which $10 million was paid in 2004, to University of California-San Diego and a $15 million pledge to the Ernest Rady Family Foundation. Rady, founder of American Assets, in San Diego, and chief executive officer of Westcorp, in Irvine, Calif., pledged $15 million to the University of California-San Diego’s recently established school of management, which has been named after him. The university received $10 million, which is being used for new facilities, and will receive the remaining $5 million by the end of this year. Rady also pledged $15 million to the Ernest Rady Family Foundation, in La Jolla. The university will receive all those funds before or at the time of Rady’s death and can use the money for any purpose. Rady serves as the chair of the management school’s Dean’s Advisory Council.

Albert J. III and Celia Weatherhead—a $30 million pledge to Harvard University. Albert Weatherhead, 80, owner of Weatherhead Industries, a plastic-products company in Cleveland, and his wife, Celia, who runs Kozy Kashmir, a business that makes specialty items for dogs, pledged $30 million to Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass., to create an endowment for science and technology. The Weatherhead Endowment for Collaborative Science and Technology will function like a venture capital fund, financing interdisciplinary projects in science and technology. Albert Weatherhead graduated from the university in 1950.

Robert and Arlene Kogod—a $25 million pledge to the Smithsonian Institution. Robert Kogod, 73, a principal of the Charles E. Smith Realty Companies, in Arlington, Va., and his wife, Arlene, 70, daughter of the late Charles E. Smith, pledged $25 million to the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington. The gift will be used to renovate a historic building that houses the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum and to construct a courtyard. Robert Kogod is serving as a special adviser on the renovation process.

William and Anita Newman—a $25 million pledge, of which $5 million was paid in 2004, to City University of New York’s Bernard M. Baruch College. William Newman, 78, chairman of the board of New Plan Excel Realty Trust, in New York City, and his wife, Anita, pledged $25 million to the City University of New York’s Bernard M. Baruch College for unrestricted operating support. The couple paid $5 million in 2004, and the college has named a building in their honor. William Newman is a 1947 graduate of Baruch College.

Terry S. and Jane Bovingdon Semel—a $25 million pledge to the UCLA Foundation. Terry Semel, 61, the chairman and chief executive officer of Yahoo!, in Sunnyvale, Calif., and his wife, Jane Bovingdon Semel, founder of ijane, a nonprofit production company in Los Angeles that focuses on public-health issues, pledged $25 million to the UCLA Foundation. The gift is earmarked for the University of California at Los Angeles’ Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior. The gift will support research and community-education programs on brain disorders, including addiction, autism, and mood disorders. Jane Bovingdon Semel serves on the board of visitors at UCLA.

Daniel M. Meyers—a $22 million pledge, of which $17 million was paid in 2004, to the University of Virginia, Curry School of Education. Meyers, 41, chairman and chief executive officer of First Marblehead Corp., in Boston, which provides marketing and related services to private lenders of educational loans, pledged $22 million to the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education, in Charlottesville. The gift, which was made in memory of a family friend who died in 2002, will go to build a new building that will consolidate the university’s education programs under one roof. Meyers serves as vice chair of the Curry School of Education Foundation’s board of directors.

William H. Neukom—a $22 million pledge to Dartmouth College. Neukom, 63, chair of Preston Gates & Ellis, a Seattle law firm, and former executive vice president of law and corporate affairs at the Microsoft Corp., in Redmond, Wash., pledged $22 million to Dartmouth College, in Hanover, N.H. The gift will establish an institute on computational science. Neukom is a 1964 graduate of the college and serves on its board of trustees.

Mark and Mary Stevens—a $22 million pledge to the University of Southern California, Viterbi School of Engineering. Mark Stevens, 44, a managing partner at Sequoia Capital, a venture-capital company in Menlo Park, Calif., and his wife, Mary, 42, pledged $22 million to endow an institute on technology commercialization at the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles. Mark Stevens earned a B.S. in electrical engineering and a B.A. in economics from the university in 1981, and an M.S. in computer engineering in 1994. He later received an M.B.A. from Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass. Mark Stevens is a member of USC’s board of trustees.

Lawrence and Kristina Dodge—a $20 million pledge to Chapman University, School of Film and Television. Lawrence Dodge, 65, and his wife, Kristina, pledged $20 million to the film school at Chapman University, in Orange, Calif. Lawrence Dodge is the founding chairman and chief executive officer of American Sterling Corp., in Irvine, Calif., a group of companies that includes film production, insurance, banking, and finance businesses, and Kristina Dodge is vice president of the company’s film-production entity. The school is now called the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

Emmett and Miriam McCoy—a $20 million pledge, of which $10 million was paid in 2004, to Texas State University at San Marcos. Emmett McCoy, 81, retired chief executive officer of McCoy’s Building Supply Centers, in San Marcos, Texas, and his wife, Miriam, 80, pledged $20 million to Texas State University at San Marcos for the College of Business Administration. The gift will help finance a new building for the business school, as well as endowed chairs, professorships, scholarships, and faculty, program, and student development. The McCoys have paid $10 million and are scheduled to give $2 million to the university annually for the next five years.

Donald L. and Susan Sturm—a $20 million pledge to the University of Denver, College of Law. Donald Sturm, and his wife, Susan, made an unrestricted $20 million pledge to the University of Denver’s College of Law. The law school will be named in honor of Donald Sturm, a 1958 graduate who paid for his studies through the G.I. Bill, grants, and various jobs. The Sturms are co-owners of American National Bank, in Denver, and Donald Sturm has been a university trustee since 1992.

Charles and Dee Wyly and Sam and Cheryl Wyly—a $20 million pledge to the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Foundation. Two couples—Charles Wyly, 70, and his wife, Dee, and Sam Wyly, 69, and his wife, Cheryl—pledged $20 million to the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Foundation. Charles and Sam Wyly are brothers, and are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of Michaels Stores, a chain that sells arts and crafts supplies. The gifts will help construct a theater at the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, which is scheduled to open in 2009.

Edwin E. and Rachel Meader—a $18 million pledge to the University of Michigan Health System, Depression Center, and University of Michigan, Kelsey Museum of Archaeology. Edwin Meader, 95, a retired professor of geography at Western Michigan University, and his wife, Rachel, 88, pledged $18 million to the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. The University of Michigan Health System will receive $10 million to construct a facility for its Depression Center that will house clinical, research, public policy, and other programs on depression and bipolar illnesses. The couple also pledged $8 million to the university’s Kelsey Museum of Archaeology to build a new exhibit wing. Edwin Meader is a 1933 graduate of the university. Rachel Meader’s grandfather, William E. Upjohn, who attended the university’s medical school in the late 19th century, co-founded the Upjohn Co., a pharmaceutical manufacturer.

Dennis and Gisela Alter—a $16.5 million pledge to Temple University, Fox School of Business and Management, and Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education. Dennis Alter, 62, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the Advanta Corp., in Spring House, Pa., and his wife, Gisela, 47, pledged $15 million for a new building that will house Temple University’s Fox School of Business and Management, in Philadelphia. The building is being designed by the architect Michael Graves, and construction is expected to begin in early 2006. The Alters also pledged $1.5 million to Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education, in Philadelphia, for its capital campaign for a new facility. Dennis Alter received his bachelor’s degree in education from Temple in 1966.