Contact:
Paola Curcio-Kleinman
516-299-2402
pconti@liu.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Long Island University Marks 75 Years of Access
and Excellence
Anniversary dinner will raise funds to create scholarships
in memory of University students killed in September 11th
attacks
For more than 75 years, Long Island University has provided access
to the American dream through excellence in higher education.
The University was founded in Brooklyn on December 9, 1926 by
a group of civic leaders who recognized the need for an institute
of higher education that would serve the region’s diverse
and rapidly expanding communities. The anniversary of its establishment
was formally marked with a dinner on December 6, 2001 at the Brooklyn
Marriott Hotel.
In light of the September 11th attacks, which claimed
the lives of four University students, and also several alumni
and students’ family members, Long Island University has
established endowed scholarships in memory of the students who
died, linking their lives to those of future students in perpetuity.
In addition, a September 11th scholarship fund has been established
to assist those University students who may have emergency scholarship
needs due to the loss of immediate family members. Both initiatives
will be partially funded by proceeds from the anniversary dinner.
“These scholarships will help restore the intellectual capital
that was so painfully lost in the terrorist attacks,” declares
University President David J. Steinberg.
The University’s continued commitment to provide access
to quality education in the face of adversity is a reaffirmation
of the ideals cherished by its founders. From the beginning, it
rejected the quota system that prevailed at existing colleges,
which excluded religious and racial minorities. The institution
was committed to admitting students solely on the basis of merit,
offering them access to the American dream through excellence
in higher education.
The fundamental premise that all people are entitled to a quality
education has been the motivating force behind 75 years of outreach,
expansion and personal accomplishment. Attuned to the evolving
needs of the New York metropolitan area, the University merged
with the Brooklyn College of Pharmacy and established five additional
campuses in Brookville, Southampton, and Brentwood on Long Island,
and in Rockland and Westchester counties, becoming the eighth-largest
private university in the country. Over the years, these centers
of learning have continued to fulfill the mandate of the original
mission. The University has also made an indelible impact on Long
Island’s cultural landscape with its NPR-affiliated Long
Island University Public Radio network, a wealth of museums, concerts
and cultural programs, and the Rose and Gilbert Tilles Center
for the Performing Arts. Its Friends World Program, comprised
of many overseas sites, has expanded its reach on a global level.
Underscoring the University’s mission and rise to prominence,
the anniversary dinner also recognized 75 honorees. President
Steinberg notes, “these individuals and families represent
the best of all those connected to the University. Many of our
honorees and alumni are builders of Long Island University; others
have used their University education as a springboard to become
leaders making a difference in the world.” Among them are
Louis Lemberger, a pharmacy alumnus and one of the developers
of the revolutionary anti-depressant drug, Prozac; Velma Scantlebury-White,
a Brooklyn Campus graduate who rose from humble beginnings as
a Barbados schoolgirl to become one of only a few female African-American
transplant surgeons in the world; Howard Lorber, a C.W. Post graduate
and the CEO of Nathan’s Famous, Inc.; John Kanas, a Southampton
College graduate who is chairman, president and CEO of North Fork
Bank; and the Manzione family. Mother, Nancy Manzione has worked
for the University for more than 24 years, putting seven of her
eight children through C.W. Post – three doctors, two attorneys,
one dentist and one engineer. Their achievements illustrate how
education can empower people from all walks of life to realize
their dreams and make significant contributions to society.
For three-quarters of a century Long Island University has committed
itself to providing access to quality education and nurturing
the values central to the American dream. In these challenging
times, it is devoted to playing an integral role in the healing
and rebuilding process. “Higher education is a bulwark for
civilization” states President Steinberg. “Enlightened
understanding, a genuine tolerance, a clear respect for pluralism
and an abiding appreciation of that which is beautiful in life
are the hallmarks of our dreams for our nation and the world.”
