Post date: June 30, 2003

Several Harvard Law School alumni have made gifts totaling $5.1 million in honor of Dean Robert C. Clark, who steps down from the deanship today. The gifts come from members of the Dean’s Advisory Board, a core group of alumni leaders who also act as advisers to the School.

“Compared to the amazing achievements of Bob Clark as dean, these gifts are a modest symbol of our gratitude,” said Finn M.W. Caspersen, chairman of the Dean’s Advisory Board and chair of the Law School’s recently launched fund-raising campaign. “Simply put, Bob has left the Law School in much better shape than he found it 14 years ago. I believe he will go down in history as one of the greatest deans to ever serve this institution.”

At Clark’s direction, $3 million of the tribute fund will go toward financial aid for international students–a priority of the Law School’s Strategic Plan. The remaining $2.1 million will support teaching and research in corporate governance as part of a new project to be headed by Clark, who will return to the Law School faculty as the Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor.

“This kind of tribute is highly unusual, but reflects the tremendous appreciation that so many of us have for Bob Clark,” said John F. Cogan, Jr., a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board and an organizer of the tribute gift. “Over the years, Bob has worked closely with alumni in a special way. He always understood that the Law School is not an isolated institution, but a place that must be connected to the outside world.”

The $5.1 million will be included in the Law School’s overall campaign goal of $400 million. On June 14, Law School leaders announced that the campaign had already secured more than $170 million, or 42 percent, toward its goal.

“I am truly humbled by this outpouring of support in my honor,” said Clark. “Although I am concluding my service as dean, I will always be a strong supporter of Harvard Law School. I’m thrilled that these funds will support a critical area of legal scholarship as well as financial aid for students who need it.”

In addition to Caspersen and Cogan, the gifts in honor of Clark come from nine other members of the Dean’s Advisory Board: William D. Walsh, Howard Milstein, Robert Katz, Roy Furman, David Mandelbaum, James Babcock, David Bonderman, Bruce Wasserstein, and Robert Haas. All are Harvard Law School alumni.

Joan Noel, Clark’s longtime personal assistant, also contributed to the tribute gift.