After Life Of Tragedy, Alum Gives Haverford College Largest Donation In School's History
By Dan Wing
HAVERFORD, Pa. (CBS) - Haverford College has received the largest gift in the exclusive Main Line school's history, as noted Alum Howard Lutnick has made a $25-million donation to help start a $225-million capital campaign.
Now the chairman of New York City financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald, Lutnick has given the school a total of $65-million in the past 25 years.
Lutnick lost his mother as a high school student, and his father from a tragic medical mistake his first week as a student at Haverford College. In light of that, Haverford decided to pay for Lutnick to go to school for free.
"That act of kindness by Haverford College really saved me, and allowed me to become who I am today," says Lutnick.
Tragedy would strike again when Lutnick was working during the 9-11 terrorist attacks.
"My company was on the top of the World Trade Center, and I was taking my son to his first day of kindergarten, and that's why I get to be here talking to you today. But we lost 658 of our employees, and my brother, Gary, he was 36. He was killed. My best friend Doug, who I went to Haverford with, was 39 when he was killed."
Lutnick says that tragedy and lessons learned at Haverford inspired a day of donations every year on September 11th in the victim's names.
Haverford President Daniel Weiss says gifts like the numerous donations made by Lutnick are a key part in keeping the school up to date:
"Allows us to innovate, and to build programs, and enhance our facilities, and our scholarship support in ways that strengthen the institution."
This donation will mainly go towards upgrades to the school's library and technology.
