The Corporation of Brown University formally engaged 11 new trustees and accepted gifts totaling more than $87 million during its fall meeting, Oct. 22-24, 2015.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Meeting Oct. 22-24, 2015, the Corporation of Brown University approved the goal and theme of BrownTogether, the University’s $3-billion comprehensive fundraising campaign, and participated in the weekend launch celebration.

Members of the Corporation also discussed a range of University issues with campus groups. They attended a regular meeting of student government (UCS, the Undergraduate Council of Students), participated in discussion sessions about campus development and about faculty diversity and student success (both arranged by UCS), talked with medical students, and met with officers of the Faculty Executive Committee.

Topics of those conversations ranged from progress under the Building on Distinction strategic plan to a proposed pilot winter session to implementing recommendations of the Sexual Assault Task Force.

In addition to the traditional October agenda of discussion sessions, committee meetings, delivery of reports, and interactions with the community, the Corporation attended to two important items of business: Engagement of new members and the formal acceptance of gifts to the University.

Engagement of new members

The Brown Charter of 1764 requires the Corporation to ensure its own succession by electing trustees, fellows, and officers. The Corporation traditionally elects new members at its meeting during Commencement Weekend and formally engages them in October, the first full meeting of the academic year. At its October meeting, the Corporation welcomed 11 new trustees, who were elected at the May meeting:

John C. Atwater, Brian A. Benjamin, Sangeeta N. Bhatia, Brickson E. Diamond, Jeffrey F. Hines, Jennifer B. Moses, Kayla S. Rosen (young alumni trustee), Barry Rosenstein, Pablo J. Salame, Preston C. Tisdale, and Catherine Willis Maas.

Members of the Board of Trustees customarily serve six-year terms, with young alumni trustees serving for three years. Fourteen of the 42 trustees are nominated by the Brown Alumni Association; representatives of undergraduate, graduate, and medical students help identify young alumni trustee candidates; the remaining 28, including young alumni trustees, are nominated by the Corporation’s Committee on Trustee Vacancies. All trustees are elected by the Corporation.

Acceptance of new gifts

During the launch celebration for the BrownTogether campaign, the University announced that the “silent phase” of the campaign had already raised about $950 million, including a number of recent gifts. University policy requires that the Corporation formally accept gifts of $1 million or more. At its business meeting, the Corporation accepted 28 gifts totaling more than $87 million:

  • From The Hassenfeld Foundation, a gift of $12.5 million to establish the Alan G. Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute, which will integrate research, clinical practice, public health efforts, and educational programs to improve the health and well-being of children, in Rhode Island and around the globe;
  • From an anonymous donor, a bequest intention that exceeds $10 million to provide ongoing support for the University;
  • From anonymous donors, a gift of $10,000,000 to support molecular neuroscience within the Brown Institute for Brain Science;
  • From anonymous donors, a gift of $6 million to support priorities within the Building on Distinction strategic plan;
  • From anonymous donors, a gift of $5 million to support the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society through the establishment of a University Professorship in Environmental Science;
  • From Gerald I. White, a 1966 Brown graduate, a bequest intention of $5 million to support financial aid;
  • From anonymous donors, a gift of $5 million pending donor designation;
  • From anonymous donors, a gift of $3.5 million, including $3 million to support research and postdoctoral fellows at the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society and $500,000 to support the Brown Annual Fund;
  • From Pablo J. Salame, a 1988 Brown graduate, and Nathalie Salame, a gift of $3 million, of which $2 million will be designated to the Pablo J. Salame ’88 Goldman Sachs Professorship in Computational Neuroscience and $1 million will be designated to the Salame Family Endowed Scholarship;
  • From anonymous donors, a gift of $2.5 million, of which $2 million will endow an assistant professorship in the School of Public Health, $250,000 will support the Brown Annual Fund, $200,000 will support the School of Public Health Annual Fund, and $50,000 will support the Men’s Club Rugby Annual Fund;
  • From Mark Attanasio, a 1979 Brown graduate, and Debbie Attanasio, parents of a Brown graduate, a gift of $2.25 million to support the baseball stadium and field project;
  • From anonymous donors, a gift of $2.25 million in support of Brown athletics;
  • From Daniel R. Tisch, a 1973 Brown graduate, and Bonnie Jeck Tisch, a gift of $2 million, of which $1.9 million is designated to support the President’s Discretionary Fund and $100,000 to support the Brown Annual Fund;
  • From anonymous donors, a gift of $2 million to support priorities within the Building on Distinction strategic plan;
  • From anonymous donors, a bequest of $2 million to support athletics at Brown;
  • From the Thomas J. and Olive C. Watson Foundation, a gift of $1,557,688 to the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs quasi-endowment;
  • From an anonymous donor, a gift of $1.5 million to support undergraduate financial aid;
  • From the parents of a member of the Class of 2018, an anonymous gift of $1 million to support undergraduate financial aid for middle-income students;
  • From the late Beatrice C. Minkins, a 1936 Brown graduate, a realized bequest of $1.4 million to support the President’s Flexible Fund;
  • From a member of the Class of 1982 and her husband, a gift of $1 million to support the Engaged Scholars Program;
  • From anonymous donors, a gift of $1 million pending donor designation;
  • From anonymous donors, a gift of $1 million to support priorities within the Building on Distinction strategic plan;
  • From an anonymous donor, a gift of $1 million to support the Political Theory Project Faculty Enhancement Initiative;
  • From John H. Panton, M.D., a Brown parent; Peter J. Panton, M.D., a Brown graduate (Sc.B 1979, M.D. 1982) and parent; Robert W. Panton, M.D., a Brown graduate (A.B. 1983, M.M.S. 1986, M.D. 1986); and family, a gift of $1 million to establish the John and Mary Panton Professorship at the Alpert Medical School;
  • From Brown parents Daniel A. Neff, Esq., a 1974 Brown graduate, and Nancy Fuld Neff, a 1976 Brown graduate, a gift of $1 million, of which $500,000 is in support of the Brown Annual Fund and $500,000 will be used toward a facilities project at the University;
  • From anonymous donors, a gift of $1 million pending donor designation;
  • From an anonymous donor, a gift of $1 million to support the Political Theory Project Faculty Enhancement Initiative;
  • From the Ford Foundation, a grant of $1 million in support of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform.

Other actions of the Corporation

The Corporation’s Budget and Finance Committee approved construction of a $2-million graduate student study center in the Rockefeller Library and a $5-million renovation and upgrade of the baseball and softball fields. Funds for both projects had been provided by gifts received in support in support of the University’s strategic capital priorities.

Also in recognition of gifts received, the Corporation established a number of endowed positions:

  • The Sorensen Family Deanship in Engineering, the gift of Joan Wernig Sorensen, a 1972 graduate and Brown trustee, and E. Paul Sorensen, a 1971 graduate who also earned advanced degrees at Brown (Sc.M. 1975, Ph.D. 1977). The Sorensens are parents of Brown graduates.
  • The 250th Anniversary Professorship in Engineering, Science, or Mathematics, given by anonymous donors;
  • The 250th Anniversary Professorships of Practice in the Performing Arts, given by anonymous donors;
  • The Watson Institute Professorship in Public Policy, given by anonymous donors; and
  • The Linton A. “Jay” Fluck ’65 Head Coaching Chair for Men’s Rugby, given by anonymous donors.