Samford U. Lands $100 Million From Late Alumnus Marvin Mann

A roundup of notable gifts compiled by the Chronicle:

Samford University

Marvin Mann left $100 million to his alma mater, directing $95 million of his bequest toward endowed student scholarships and $5 million toward support for the Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership, which he established in 2008 in honor of his late wife, Frances.

Mann founded Lexmark International, a laser-printer manufacturer, in 1991 and led the company until he retired in 1999. He grew up in Springdale, Ala., during the Great Depression and worked as a child candling eggs at his grandfather’s distribution business. A first-generation college student, Mann graduated from the university in 1954 and worked for IBM for 32 years before starting his own company. Mann died on March 19.

Stony Brook University

James (Jim) and Marilyn Simons gave $56.6 million through their Simons Foundation to establish the Stony Brook Simons STEM Scholars Program, which will provide four-year scholarships, housing, academic and career advising, stipends for internships and research projects, and other assistance to 50 underrepresented students each year. The program will start in the fall of 2023.

Jim Simons is a prominent mathematician who founded Renaissance Technologies, a hedge fund in East Setauket, N.Y. Marilyn Simons earned a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in economics from the university in 1974 and 1984, respectively. Her father was a bricklayer who helped construct the campus. The couple have given hundreds of millions to nonprofits over the years, mostly in the fields of science and education.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Daniel and Jane Och gave $50 million through the Jane and Daniel Och Family Foundation to expand the Och Spine program. The money will pay for new patient-care facilities throughout the New York metropolitan area. The couple gave $25 million in 2017 to help build the NewYork-Presbyterian Och Spine Hospital.

Daniel Och founded Och-Ziff Capital Management, a hedge fund, in New York in 1994 and led the fund until 2018. He now leads Willoughby Capital Holdings, his family office, and has invested in several technology companies, including Coinbase, Instacart, Stripe, and Robinhood. He has served on NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s Board of Trustees since 2005. Jane Och is an inventor of household products and a former Goldman Sachs investment banker.

High Point University

Rick and Angie Workman donated $32 million through their Rick and Angie Workman Foundation to establish the university’s new Workman School of Dental Medicine, which is expected to enroll its first class in fall 2023. Rick Workman, a dentist, founded Heartland Dental, an Effingham, Ill., company that provides administrative and operational support to 1,600 dental offices nationally.

New World Symphony

Lin Arison gave $30 million through her family fund, the Arison Arts Foundation. The money will go toward endowment and was given to honor Michael Tilson Thomas, a sought-after conductor and the organization’s founding artistic director.

Arison is a Miami philanthropist who, along with her late husband, Ted, and Tilson, founded the New World Symphony in 1987 as a training ground to prepare young musicians for leadership roles in orchestras and ensembles. Ted Arison was the founder of Carnival Cruise Lines. He died in 1999.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Geoffrey Raynor pledged $25 million through his Once Upon a Time Foundation to establish the Raynor Cerebellum Project, where researchers will investigate diseases associated with cerebellum dysfunction, with the goal of discovering how to preserve and restore lost brain function.

Raynor founded Q Investments, a Fort Worth hedge fund that primarily invests in aircraft leasing businesses, private equity, and distressed assets. He previously gave $14.1 million to UT Southwestern.

To learn about other big donations, see our database of gifts of $1 million or more, which is updated regularly.