The Philanthropy 50 2009 Gift Profile: John W. and Susan G. Jackson

John W. and Susan G. Jackson: $50-million

Beneficiary: Yale University

Donors’ background: Mr. Jackson is a retired chief executive of the Celgene Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company in Summit, N.J. Mrs. Jackson is a published poet.

Mr. and Mrs. Jackson pledged $50-million to Yale University, in New Haven, Conn., to establish a global-affairs institute. Within the new institute, which has been named for the Jacksons, the money will support four new tenured professorships, and at least four fellowships for experts in international affairs. The donation will also pay for a summer internship program, financial aid, and career counseling for Yale students interested in working in diplomacy or with international agencies.

The Jacksons declined to provide details about their schedule for paying the pledge, but wrote in an e-mail response to questions about the gift that they hope it inspires students to “pursue careers in diplomacy and public service.”

Mr. Jackson graduated from Yale in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. The couple serve on the university’s President’s Council on International Activities at Yale.

—Maria Di Mento

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