Teachers College received its largest gift yet of $20 million last week, earmarked for private school leadership programs.
According to a TC press release, trustee John Klingenstein and his wife Pat donated the money in support of the 30-year-old Klingenstein Center for Independent School Education. The Center teaches 200 students each year through five programs.
The news follows a tumultuous week for the TC administration, during which Professor Madonna Constantine was sanctioned for plagiarism. Constantine accused the investigation of bias, and one of her colleagues condemned the administration for racism. Many New York media outlets have berated TC on their editorial pages for not firing Constantine.
Klingenstein is president of the Esther A. and Joseph Klingenstein Fund, which was established by his parents in 1946 and finances the Klingenstein Fellowships in Neurosciences, awarded generally for the study of epilepsy. At a dinner on Feb. 28 honoring the center’s 30th anniversary, Klingenstein’s daughter Nancy Simpkins Klingenstein announced the donation and said that the money would bolster scholarships for the center’s programs.
TC President Susan Fuhrman praised Klingenstein for his generosity and ideals. “John Klingenstein has been a vital member of our board for nearly 30 years, and his wise counsel, tireless energy and good will have set the standard for what it means to take an active and caring role in the life of an institution,” Fuhrman said in the press release. “This incredibly generous gift ensures that he and his vision will remain a force in perpetuity at Teachers College.”