Newhouse Foundation gives Syracuse University the school’s largest donation ever

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The S.I. Newhouse Foundation has announced a $75 million donation to Syracuse University, the largest gift in the university’s 150-year history.

Donald Newhouse, a Syracuse University alumnus, revealed the gift Monday at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. The $75 million donation was specifically gifted to the communications school.

The Newhouse family and its foundation were already the university’s top donors, publicly giving more than $33 million over the years toward the journalism school’s facilities and for scholarships.

Samuel I. Newhouse donated $15 million in 1964 to found the school that sits on Waverly Avenue in Syracuse today. At that time, it was the university’s biggest donation.

Donald Newhouse said his father’s dream of establishing the “finest journalism school in the world” had been realized through talented students and faculty, and the leadership of SU Chancellor Kent Syverud and most recently deans David Rubin and Lorraine Branham.

Branham, who served the school for 11 years, died of cancer last year. A search is under way for a replacement. The university expects to have a dean in place by July.

“I have great confidence that the search committee will find an outstanding successor to David and Lorraine,” Donald Newhouse said. “In this era in which public communications is undergoing continual and radical change, my family and I expect to continue our long-term commitment to ensure that the school my dad helped found almost 60 years ago remains the leading communications school in the world for another generation."

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We looked into the archives to see which individuals and estates have contributed the most to SU over the years.

The Newhouse family started their media company with the purchase of the Staten Island Advance newspaper in 1922. The company expanded and today is known as Advance Publications.

Donald Newhouse is now president of Advance Publications, the parent company of Advance Local and Advance Media New York, which publishes Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Advance also owns newspapers and news websites in Alabama, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Oregon.

Advance’s portfolio also includes Conde Nast, American City Business Journals and investments in Charter Communications and Reddit.

The Newhouse Foundation’s contributions over the years have grown the Newhouse school into a three-building complex. Speakers at dedications of the buildings included President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, CBS chairman William Paley in 1974, and U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts in 2007. Donald Newhouse and his late brother S.I. attended all the dedications.

Oprah Winfrey was the guest of honor in 2014 for the ribbon-cutting of the Dick Clark Studios and Alan Gerry Center for Media Innovation.

The $75 million donation is part of SU’s Forever Orange campaign, which includes an overall fundraising goal of $1.5 billion. It is the largest fundraising effort in the university’s history.

The Newhouse gift is the largest donation to the campaign, and it’s one of the largest gifts ever made to a communications school, according to SU officials.

Syracuse University's goals: Raise $1.5 billion and its academic profile

Officials said they hoped investments by private philanthropists would elevate the profile of Syracuse University, and the regional community.

Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers courts, government, education and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992

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