Two businessmen will donate $5 million each to Wayne State University's Law School.
Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross will donate a sum of $10 million to honor the school's dean Jocelyn Benson, who is leaving at the end of the month.
Benson is leaving her post as dean to become the chief executive officer of the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality. (Read more about that here.)
The school says each donation is the largest the law school has ever seen.
Both Gilbert and Ross attended the law school before founding their own companies and later acquiring professional sports franchises.
Ross has also donated over $300 million to the University of Michigan, where he received his bachelor's degree in accounting before going to Wayne State's law school.
More from a press release from Wayne State University:
“Wayne State not only played an important role in my success, but also in the rebirth of Detroit,” Ross said. “I am pleased to be able to give back to the school and also help ensure that this great educational institution continues to attract the best and the brightest students from across the country.”
Gilbert has been known for spending money in Detroit, in the past few years especially, buying many vacant or unused properties in the downtown area.
Again from Wayne State's press release:
“I am proud to support the law school’s efforts to continue attracting top students from around the world and shape our brightest and best lawyers right here in the heart of Detroit," Gilbert says.
The school says the donations, that will establish the Benson Legacy Fund for Wayne Law and the Benson Endowment Enhancement Fund for Wayne Law, are apart of the university's ongoing Pivotal Moments fund-raising campaign.
The university says the gifts from Ross and Gilbert will count toward its $750 million fundraising goal. They say $590 million has been raised for the school thus far.
