A Syracuse University alumnus has pledged $5.48 million toward scholarships and other endowed funds at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Elliot Stamler, Class of 1960, has named SU as a beneficiary of his estate, the university announced Wednesday. Stamler’s gift is one of several seven-figure gifts recently made to SU ahead of the largest fundraising campaign in university history.

The $5.48 million gift from Stamler will support and create more than six endowed funds for undergraduate students, graduate assistantships and faculty, according to a Wednesday SU News release. His donation will also fund the Hillel Gift Receipt Agency Account and the Maxwell Dean’s Discretionary Fund.

Stamler, 80, graduated from SU with a degree in political science. He earned a MBA from Columbia University in 1965 and joined Columbia Pictures Television/Screen Gems Inc. as an advertising/publicity executive. Stamler later formed his own investment company, Northstar Assets.

“My gift to Maxwell is crucially important at this time, I believe, because democracy in our country is at a precarious point,” Stamler said in the release. “Maxwell through its students and alumni is a potent, positive force now and in the future for the preservation of our democracy.”

Another major donation to SU comes from lifetime Board of Trustees member Robert Miron and his wife Diane. Their $7 million donation, announced Monday, will help create a connection between the Carrier Dome and the Barnes Center at The Arch.  The Mirons have also donated to support SU’s libraries through the Blackstone LaunchPad, student services and the creation of student spaces.

SU will hold a reception on Friday to show the campus community its “bold vision for the future,” according to an event listing. The Kick-Off Celebration and Cocktail Reception will start at 5:30 p.m. in Goldstein Auditorium. The university is constructing a pavilion area on the Quad for the Friday event.

Chancellor Kent Syverud addressed the upcoming capital campaign at last week’s University Senate meeting. The campaign, which he referred to as the “Forever Orange Campaign,” will focus on increasing SU’s endowment and expand the pool of donors and alumni outside Syracuse.

 

Published on November 6, 2019 at 9:45 am

Contact Casey: casey@dailyorange.com | @caseydarnell_