1982 School of Arts and Sciences graduate Louise Strauss’ estate gifted $21 million to support the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, the Rare Judaica Acquisitions Endowment Fund in Penn Libraries, and Morris Arboretum & Gardens (Photo by NMGiovannucci | CC BY-SA 4.0).
1982 School of Arts and Sciences graduate Louise Strauss’ estate gifted $21 million to Penn in support of various research initiatives on campus.
The legacy gift will be directed to the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, Rare Judaica Acquisitions Endowment Fund in Penn Libraries, and Morris Arboretum & Gardens. Before her passing in February 2024, Strauss was heavily involved in Jewish studies initiatives at Penn and served on the Katz Center’s board of advisers in addition to other public service commitments.
“Louise Strauss’s generous legacy gift will have a lasting impact across multiple pillars of Penn’s academic mission,” Penn President Larry Jameson told Penn Today. “We are grateful for her commitment to provide support that will strengthen our entire community—from advancing Jewish studies scholarship and preserving rare historical materials, to supporting plant science research.”
Beyond Penn, Strauss was a volunteer at the Philadelphia Jewish Archives Center and also organized the Lenkin Collection of Photography.
Steven Weitzman, the director of the Katz Center, said that the donation is emblematic of Strauss’s life of “profound generosity” and “sustained public service.”
“She was a very self-effacing person, but all that she has done to support others is something that deserves to be honored for generations to come,” Weitzman said.
Strauss’ gift will enable more global scholars to join the Katz Center’s fellowship program and expand Penn Libraries’ capacity to acquire rare objects for its Judaica collections. The gift will also support the Morris Arboretum’s plant science research efforts following the recent completed construction of the on-site Plant Science Lab.
“Each of the initiatives Louise chose to support are home to exceptional scholarship and outreach,” dean of the School of Arts & Sciences Mark Trodden told Penn Today. “Her steadfast support of our Jewish studies initiatives further enhances Penn Arts & Sciences’ excellence in the field.”
Williams Cullina, the director of Morris Arboretum & Gardens, said that the donation will “provide truly transformational support.”
“It will allow us to attract the best and brightest in the field and bolster our ability to maintain and cultivate our exceptional gardens and plant collections, which are enjoyed by more than 175,000 visitors annually,” Cullina added.
Strauss’s donation follows a number of other significant donations to Penn this year, including a $60 million gift from 1979 School of Arts and Sciences graduate Bruce Jacob and a $20 million contribution from 1970 College and 1972 Wharton graduate David Pottruck.
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