$50M gift to finance physical, faculty growth at Watson Institute

Providence is one of the best college towns to buy an investment property, given the presence of Brown University, Redfin said Friday. /COURTESY BROWN UNIVERSITY
Providence is one of the best college towns to buy an investment property, given the presence of Brown University, Redfin said Friday. /COURTESY BROWN UNIVERSITY

PROVIDENCE – A gift of $50 million will enable Brown University to build a new building and add faculty and initiatives at the Thomas J. Watson Jr. Institute for International and Public Affairs.
“This is a moment when Brown takes off,” said Thomas Tisch, one of the donors. “There’s a lot of discussion about social good and impact, but what I like is that Watson stands for excellence in scholarship.”
Part of the early fundraising recently announced for Brown’s $3 billion comprehensive campaign, the gift comes from Stephen Robert, former chairman and CEO of Oppenheimer & Co. and chancellor emeritus of Brown; Alice Tisch, a trustee of New York University Langone Medical Center and the Museum of Modern Art, and Thomas Tisch, an alumnus, current Brown chancellor and managing partner of New York investment firm Four Partners.
Also a donor is the Thomas J. and Olive C. Watson Jr. Foundation, administered by David McKinney, retired senior vice president of IBM and retired president of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“This exceptional demonstration of support arrives at a significant time for both Brown University and the Watson Institute,” said Brown President Christina H. Paxson. “This gift will significantly enhance our ability to influence world affairs on such topics as food and water security, health care, and cross-cultural conflict.”
The theme of “creating peaceful, just and prosperous societies” is key to the university’s strategic plan, she said.
A new 20,000-square-foot building will create new spaces for growth in teaching and research for country- and discipline-specific programs. It comes after the institute incorporated the Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy into its programming. Already in the works is renovation of a building at 59 Charlesfield St. to expand teaching and conference space.
Half of the gift will go toward the new space, and with the funding in place, site selection and design can proceed, the university said.

No posts to display