Businessman Gives $50-Million to Wis. Organizations

A Milwaukee real-estate developer gave $30-million to the Marquette Law School and pledged another $20-million to Milwaukee charities that have yet to be named, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

During an event announcing the Marquette gift, Joseph Zilber said he expects to announce the recipients of the remaining $20-million of his gifts sometime in the next couple of weeks, the paper reports. Of the money for Marquette, $5-million will help pay for a new law-school building, while the remaining $25-million will pay for law-student scholarships. Mr. Zilber, 89, graduated from the law school in 1941 but never practiced law.

He said he hopes his gifts will spur an era of renewal for the city: “My goal is to stimulate other actions, both personal and monetary, large and small, to push our great city to reach its new potential.”

In a statement released by Marquette, President Robert A. Wild called Mr. Zilber an example of the values of leadership and service the school tries to instill in its students.