Zankel Gift Establishes 50 Urban Scholarships

In June, Teachers College received a gift of $10 million from the estate of the late Arthur Zankel, the longtime philanthropist and vice-chairman of the College's Board of Trustees, who passed away in July 2005. The funds are being 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.

TC also has renamed its Main Hall as the Arthur Zankel Building. 

"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, in announcing the new Zankel Fellowships. "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."

Under the terms of the scholarships the Zankel Urban Fellows perform internships 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.

Zankel was a co-managing partner of First Manhattan Company and the founder of High Rise Capital Management, a real estate investment firm. Prior to becoming Trustee Vice-Chair, he 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 from his estate to the College was part of a $120 million bequest to a group of institutions that included Skidmore College, Carnegie Hall, the United Jewish Appeal, the Society of Illustrators, and the Zankel Fund.

Published Thursday, Jun. 29, 2006