Lenfests Receive Prestigious Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy

Pittsburgh, Pa. — H.F. “Gerry” and Marguerite Brooks Lenfest, a 1955 alumna of Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa., have been named recipients of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in recognition of outstanding and innovative leadership in philanthropy.

Medal recipients are chosen for their distinguished and longstanding contributions to the public good, according to an announcement from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, made on behalf of the international family of Carnegie institutions.

“The medal reflects Andrew Carnegie’s enduring legacy of philanthropy and is rooted in two core principles,” said Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. “First: with wealth comes responsibility. Second: individuals, whether guided by religious, civic, humanistic, or democratic aspirations, have the transformative power to use wealth for the betterment of humankind.”

“Just as our founder demonstrated, the recipients inspire a culture of giving through their leadership, providing a model for the next generation of philanthropists,” Gregorian added.

The Lenfests are among nine 2017 Carnegie Meal of Philanthropy recipients announced June 22. The other recipients include:

• Mei Hing Chak, China; HeungKong Charitable Foundation

• Azim Premji, India; Azim Premji Foundation

• Julian Robertson, U.S.; Robertson Foundation

• Jeff Skoll, U.S.; Skoll Foundation

• Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, U.S.; Tompkins Conservation

• Shelby White, U.S.; Leon Levy Foundation

• Sir James D. Wolfensohn, U.S. and Australia; Wolfensohn Center for Development

Since selling their cable television company, Lenfest Communications, to Comcast Corp. in 2000, the Lenfests have devoted their time and energy to philanthropy. Individually and through the Lenfest Foundation, the couple has contributed millions to scores of causes, including Marguerite Lenfest’s alma mater, Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa., and Gerry Lenfest’s alma maters, Mercersburg Academy, Washington and Lee University and Columbia University.

Personally and through the Lenfest Foundation, the couple has made gifts of more than $1.3 billion to over 1,100 organizations, supporting causes ranging from the arts to environmental programs to independent journalism. But their highest priority has always been to build self-sufficiency through education, according to the foundation website.

During Wilson’s “Leading with Confidence” capital campaign, the Huntingdon Valley, Pa., couple pledged a total of $20 million toward the college’s endowment, and over the years, the Lenfests have supported Wilson’s annual fund and unrestricted endowment, student scholarships, faculty development, Single Parent Scholars Program and facilities renovations — including a 2013 gift of $3.6 million to the library renovation project that created Lenfest Learning Commons, a student gathering and study space.

In 2000, Gerry Lenfest gave $35 million to his former prep school, Mercersburg Academy and in 2008, provided a $27 million grant to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The couple’s philanthropy has also included funding the Lenfest College Scholars program for central Pennsylvania high school students.

The Carnegie medal was established in 2001 and is awarded every two years to those whose philanthropic work embodies the ideals of Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), an American industrialist who built a fortune in the steel industry and then became a noted philanthropist whose impact is still felt today.

Previous Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy recipients include Bill and Melinda Gates (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), Michael Bloomberg (Bloomberg Philanthropies) and the Heinz family (Heinz Endowments).

The Carnegie institutions will award the medals during a formal ceremony at The New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Oct. 3. The Carnegie Corporation of New York will host the private event and Katty Kay, anchor of BBC World News America, will serve as master of ceremonies.

For more information about the medal and recipients, visit www.medalofphilanthropy.org/medalists

MEDIA CONTACT:       
Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations
Phone: 717-262-2604
Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu

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Founded in 1869, Wilson College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering bachelor’s degrees in 34 majors and master’s degrees in education, educational technology, special education, the humanities, accountancy, management, nursing, fine arts and healthcare management for sustainability. Wilson is committed to providing an affordable education that offers value to its students beyond graduation.

Located in Chambersburg, Pa., the college had a fall 2016 enrollment of 1,098, which included students from 18 states and 16 countries. Visit www.wilson.edu for more information.