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Mailman School of Public Health Receives $20.7 Million for Faculty Support from the Estate of Ronald H. Lauterstein, MS ‘58
The Mailman School announced a bequest to the School of $20.7 million from beloved alumnus and long-time benefactor Ronald H. Lauterstein ’58, who passed away in 2006. This gift brings Mr. Lauterstein’s total contributions to the School to $24.6 million. The landmark donation includes one of Columbia University’s largest endowment gifts to support faculty development.
“We are deeply moved by this incredibly generous and important gift,” said Allan Rosenfield, MD, dean. “This gift underscores Ron’s commitment to the School’s continued growth as a world-renowned public health institution. We are both humbled and delighted by his generosity and look forward to honoring the Lauterstein name for many years to come.”
“Our faculty serve society by advancing knowledge in their fields and by nurturing a passion for discovery in their students,” said Lee C. Bollinger, president of Columbia University. “This is especially true at the Mailman School; and now, through Ron Lauterstein’s generous bequest, they will have additional resources to develop their scholarship in examining and elevating public health. Ron’s devotion to the University as an alumnus was, and remains, exceptional. For this we are most grateful.”
Mr. Lauterstein was the co-founder and former president of COMCARE, a major multi-site provider of nursing and home care services throughout Canada. Attending the gift announcement in his honor was close friend J. Michael Lavery, former secretary/treasurer and chief financial officer at COMCARE, and attorney Martin K.I. Rumack, both trustees of the charitable trust created by Mr. Lauterstein’s estate. Said Mr. Lavery, “Ron frequently attributed his success in the healthcare industry to the education he received at the Mailman School. It is fitting that through this tremendous endowment to support faculty excellence, he is ensuring that future generations of students learn from scholars of the highest caliber.” He added, “This gift is a tribute not only to the admiration Mr. Lauterstein felt for the Mailman School, but also to the genuine—and mutual—affection he shared with his dear friend Allan Rosenfield, whose inspired leadership over the last 21 years has propelled the School into the top tier of public health institutions.”
During his lifetime, Mr. Lauterstein established the Lauterstein Scholars Program to support the development of aging policy and research, and a student scholarship named in honor of Doris Nickerson, his companion of many years. With a part of his bequest, the Columbia Trustees established the Lauterstein Professorship in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences.
For many years, he was a valued member of the School’s Board of Overseers and Alumni Executive Board. In 1996, he was the recipient of Columbia University’s Alumni Federation Medal for conspicuous alumni service and, in 1994, was awarded the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award.
Lee Goldman, MD, MPH, executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences and dean of the faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center stated, “As we all know, extraordinary faculty attract extraordinary students—a powerful combination that will serve to strengthen the School’s core commitment to education and research. Mr. Lauterstein’s foresight and dedication to the Mailman School will have a lasting impact on the institution.”
The announcement of the $20.7 million bequest was made at an event celebrating Dr. David Rosner’s appointment as the first Ronald H. Lauterstein Professor of Sociomedical Sciences. In addition to close friends and family of Mr. Lauterstein, the event was attended by Mailman School faculty, students, and staff, and leaders from across Columbia University. Speakers included: Allan Rosenfield, MD, dean and DeLamar Professor, Mailman School; Alan Brinkley, PhD, provost of Columbia University and Allan Nevins Professor of American History; Lee Goldman, MD, MPH, executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences and dean of the faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center; J. Michael Lavery, CA, director, Glencoe Resources, Ltd.; Richard Parker, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Sociomedical Sciences; and David Rosner, PhD, Ronald H. Lauterstein Professor of Sociomedical Sciences and professor of History.
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