News Feature

Arts & Sciences Gifts

October 4, 2007

In FY07, a number of donors were prompted by the Lenfest Challenge to endow professorships in the Arts & Sciences.

Steven and Roberta Bowman Denning PCC’06 pledged $5 million in support of a professorship in the field of sustainable development—$1.5 to endow the chair in conjunction with the Lenfest matching fund, and an additional $3.5 million toward related support.

Leonard and Louise Riggio PCC’06 pledged $5 million in support of professorships, graduate fellowships, and undergraduate programs in the Department of Art History and Archaeology. Along with $3 million in matches under the Lenfest challenge, the Riggios endowed one chair in African Art and another chair to be assigned at the department’s discretion. They also provided $1 million for graduate fellowships and another $1 million for undergraduate internships, research, travel, and lectures.

Also taking advantage of Lenfest funding were Professor Ronald Breslow, who donated $1.5 million to endow a professorship in Chemistry; James Leitner SIPA’77, who donated $1.5 million to endow a chair in African Studies; and the Sheng Yen Education Foundation, which donated $1.5 million toward a chair in Chinese Buddhism.