HOME / the slate 60: Analysis of the year's biggest philanthropists.

The 60 largest American charitable contributions of 1996.

the slate 60:
entries

Posted Tuesday, Dec. 3, 1996, at 1:56 AM ET

The 1996 SLATE 60
The 60 largest American charitable contributions of 1996.

The Also-Rans
Other known gifts of over $1 million in 1996.

Competitive Generosity 101

61. ELAINE DANNHEISSER--Seventy-five works by some of the most fashionable artists of the last few decades, a collection valued at more than $5 million, have been given to New York City's MUSEUM OF MODERN ART. The gift includes paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, installations, and video art. The works come from Dannheisser's private collection and from the Dannheisser Foundation, a nonprofit organization she and her husband founded in 1975 to support the arts. Dannheisser, who for years has been a passionate collector of what she calls "tough art," was recently elected to the board of the museum.

RSS

62. WILLIAM T. FITZGERALD--$2.5 million to the UNIVERSITY OF AKRON (Ohio) from the retired president and CEO of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. to establish an institute for entrepreneurial studies in the College of Business Administration. ALSO--$2.5 million to the University of Akron from this alumnus of the Class of 1950 to establish the William T. and Rita Fitzgerald Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies with the College of Business Administration. This is the largest individual gift ever made to the university in its 125-year history. TOTAL: $5 million.

Related in Slate

Related on the Web

63. STANLEY C. GAULT--$5 million to the COLLEGE OF WOOSTER (Ohio) from the chairman of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. for the capital campaign for the Flo K. Gault Library for Independent Study and other projects.

64. DAVID GEFFEN-- $5 million to the MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART in Los Angeles. The gift will be counted toward the museum's $25 million endowment drive. In recognition of the gift, the building known as MOCA at the Temporary Contemporary will be renamed the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. Opened in 1983 in two vast warehouses in the Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles, the Temporary Contemporary was meant to house exhibitions only until a permanent structure could be built six blocks away. But it was such a success that the museum trustees decided to keep it open.

65. CLAUS M. HALLE and MARIANNE HALLE--$5 million to EMORY UNIVERSITY (Ga.) to enable the university to develop a comprehensive and integrated program in international studies. Halle is a former Coca-Cola executive who retired in 1989 as senior executive vice president and head of Coca-Cola International. A new Institute for Global Education will be created that will bear Halle's name. The Halles are citizens of Germany, and have been residents of Atlanta for 24 years.

66. GERALD R. JORDAN--$5 million to HARVARD COLLEGE to establish the Jordan Family Scholarship Fund in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences from this alumnus and co-founder of Hellman, Jordan Management Co. in Boston.

67. LOUIS MARX JR.--$5 million to MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE (Vt.) for program support from this New York City venture capitalist.

68. CHARLES SCHULZ and JEAN SCHULZ--$5 million to SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, the third-largest cash gift in the history of the California State University system, from the creator of the Peanuts comic strip and his wife. The donation will be used to help finance the university's soon-to-be-built Information Center, which will combine library, computing, media, and telecommunications services.

69. DONALD STURM and SUSAN STURM--$5 million to the UNIVERSITY OF DENVER from the chairman of the board of the Bank of Cherry Creek and his wife to renovate the General Classroom Building and the Daniels College of Business.

70. GRATIA (TOPSY) R. MONTGOMERY--$5 million to WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE (Mass.) to endow the Coastal Research Center from this South Dartmouth, Mass., resident, who is the granddaughter of the late mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart and the daughter of the late Alan G. Rinehart.