H. F. Lenfest
H. F. "Gerry" Lenfest is a media entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was born in
Jacksonville, Florida, then later grew up in Scarsdale, New York, and
Hunterdon County, New Jersey.[1] After attending Flemington High School, and graduating from
Mercersburg Academy[2], Lenfest went on to receive his BA from Washington
and Lee University in 1953 and his LLB from Columbia Law School in
1958.[3] He served in the Navy between college and law school. Lenfest worked at the firm of
Lenfest plans on donating all of his wealth to worthy causes before he dies.[4] On March 21, 2007, Lenfest announced a donation of $33 million to be spent solely on faculty compensation at his alma mater, Washington and Lee University, where he serves as a trustee, and an unpublished amount to Wilson College, Mrs. Lenfest's alma mater. In recent years, Lenfest has given over $100 million to Columbia University,where his donations include a $48 million challenge gift toward the endowment of 32 new professorships, $15 million toward construction of a Law School residence hall which bears his name, $15 million to support the programs of the Earth Institute, and $12 million to endow awards for outstanding teaching.
Lenfest also endows the Lenfest College Prep Scholarship, which is given to teenagers from eighth to tenth grade from certain areas of rural Pennsylvania to attend one of three private schools, Mercersburg Academy, Westtown School, or Wyoming Seminary. He also endows the Lenfest College Scholars program, which is given to high school seniors from the same area to give a scholarship to them.
References
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