Palm Beach philanthropy: Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch give $25 million to his alma mater
Seasonal Palm Beach resident Jonathan Tisch is an active, concerned citizen.
He wants the next generation of decision-makers to be the same — and he's willing to pony up to make it so.
More Palm Beach philanthropy news here.
Tisch and his wife, Lizzie, have donated $25 million to the Frederick Gunn School in Washington, Conn., to build the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship.
It is the largest donation in the 172-year history of the school, formerly known as The Gunnery, and where Jonathan Tisch is a member of the Class of 1972.
"The school’s leadership continues to commit itself to investments supporting the best boarding school experience that is the modern embodiment of [founder] Frederick Gunn’s ideals." Jonathan Tisch said. "There is no better moment than now to help accelerate this momentum."
The gift enables a late spring groundbreaking for the new academic building, which will be located in the center of campus, overlooking the school’s historic quad.
It will house the school's entire science, math, engineering, technology, entrepreneurship and unique Active Citizenship curriculum.
The citizenship program ''encourages curiosity, problem solving, risk-taking, independent thinking, strength of character, rigorous and reasoned dialogue, and rational debate.''
Its goal is to produce graduates who will be forces for good as they move on to their respective colleges, workplaces and communities, and take their places as the next generation of leaders.
"There is no better environment for a teenager to explore being an active and engaged member of a community than at boarding school," said Head of School Peter Becker. "On our campus this pursuit aligns with the mission set forth by our founder in 1850 and is even more relevant today as future leaders enter into an increasingly complicated, interconnected world."
"The generosity of Lizzie and Jon will immediately contribute to the ongoing transformation of our campus." Becker continued. "More importantly, it will further accelerate the curricular initiatives already underway that build on Mr. Gunn’s values that so profoundly encourage active citizenship.”
“The Frederick Gunn School is changing the way people think about what a school is capable of doing," Jonathan Tisch said. "Lizzie and I are excited to help accelerate this transformation — a strategic vision that has been crafted and led by Peter Becker for the last nine years.
"In important ways, the strategic path is relentlessly committed to the school’s founder and namesake, Frederick Gunn. Mr. Gunn was a transformative leader, a pioneering educator and a courageous abolitionist. He inspired students to be curious and thoughtful, to be active citizens, and to stand up for what they believe in — his ideas are as relevant today as they were 172 years ago."
The center is expected to open in the fall of 2023.
Tisch has an extensive history of philanthropic giving to education. In addition to his longtime support of The Frederick Gunn School, Tisch's generosity established the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University, his alma mater; and the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Apse at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, among others.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Jonathan and Lizzie Tisch give $25 million to Frederick Gunn School in Connecticut
