Gift of $10 Million from Estate of Arthur Zankel to Create Urban Fellowships at Teachers College Columbia University
Bequest from Philanthropist Will Fund 50 $10,000 Scholarships per Year On Monday, June 2, College to Rename Its Main Hall as the Arthur Zankel Building; Press Invited
On Monday, June 2, College to Rename Its Main Hall as the Arthur Zankel Building; Press Invited
JUNE 2 2006, New York, NY -- Teachers College has received a gift of $10 million from the estate of the late Arthur Zankel, the longtime philanthropist who passed away in July 2005. The funds will be used to establish the Arthur Zankel Urban Fellowships -- 50 one-year scholarships of $10,000 each that will be given to both masters and doctoral students with demonstrated financial need.
Mr. Zankel, a co-managing partner of First Manhattan Company and the founder of High Rise Capital Management, a real estate investment firm, was Vice-Chair of Teachers College's Board of Trustees and had previously served on the Board's Committees on Trustees and Investment. He also supported the TC Education Zone Partnership, a network of collaborations between the College and the New York City public school system. The gift to the College is part of a $120 million bequest to a group of institutions that, along with TC, includes Skidmore College, Carnegie Hall, the United Jewish Appeal, the
Society of Illustrators, the Zankel Fund and the Kenneth Zankel Foundation.
"Arthur Zankel was deeply committed to the work of Teachers College and possessed a true passion for making a difference in the world and improving the lives of others," said TC President Arthur Levine. "This extraordinarily generous gift from his estate will enable us to recruit and support students who -- in keeping with the College's focus on achieving educational equity -- combine academic excellence with a dedication to enhancing opportunities and achievement for schoolchildren from the most under-served areas of New York City."
On Monday, June 5th, Teachers College will rename its Main Hall as the Arthur Zankel Building. The ceremony will be held in that building, at 525 West 120th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues. Following remarks by President Levine, William Rueckert (Co-Chair of the College's Board of Trustees) and Martin Zankel (Arthur Zankel's brother), there will be an unveiling of the new lettering on the side of the Arthur Zankel Building. A reception will follow.
The press is invited; for all inquires, please contact Joe Levine at 212 678-3176 or at jlevine@tc.columbia.edu.
Under the terms of the scholarships, which will begin in fall 2006, the Zankel Urban Fellows will perform internships of five hours per week in one of the College's many programs that benefit disadvantaged inner-city schoolchildren. These include the College's Reading and Math Buddies programs, which works with students at four neighboring elementary schools; the Heritage School, an arts-themed high school created by Teachers College in East Harlem; and the Student Press Initiative, a writing and publishing project that works with public school teachers and their students.
Teachers College is the largest graduate school of education in the nation. Teachers College is affiliated with Columbia University, but it is legally and financially independent. The editors of U.S. News and World Report have ranked Teachers College as one of the leading graduate schools of education in the country.
Teachers College is dedicated to promoting equity and excellence in education and overcoming the gap in educational access and achievement between the most and least advantaged groups in this country. Through programs of teaching, research, and service, the College draws upon the expertise of a diverse community of faculty in education, psychology and health, as well as students and staff from across the country and around the world.
For more information, please visit the college's Web site at www.tc.columbia.edu.
Educational equity -- a moral imperative for the 21st
Published Sunday, Jun. 18, 2006