Rick Caruso Gives $50 Million to Pepperdine Law School
Rick Caruso Gives $50 Million to Pepperdine Law School
by Contributing Editor
The Pepperdine School of Law will be renamed the Rick J. Caruso School of Law after the billionaire Los Angeles developer and philanthropist and his wife, Tina, pledged $50 million to the school.
The gift will “expand educational access to exceptional, historically underserved student populations … as well as fuel several initiatives to strengthen the School of Law’s academic programming,” school officials said Wednesday.
“The lack of affordable education in our nation and the student debt crisis is not only inhibiting underprivileged students from gaining equal opportunity to education, but also discouraging potential students from exploring careers in public service, roles that have a critical impact on society,” Caruso said. “My sincere hope is that this gift will be one of the first steps towards reducing the barrier to entry for these students and will inspire the next generation of public servants.”
Caruso will also partner with the school to raise an additional $50 million in endowment funds over the next decade, officials said.
“Since 1981, the Caruso family has made extraordinary contributions to Pepperdine’s rise, especially at the School of Law, through their dedicated stewardship,” Pepperdine President Jim Gash said. “This latest gift from Rick and Tina Caruso, made possible by decades of friendship between the Carusos and Pepperdine senior leadership, namely President Emeritus Andrew K. Benton and Senior Vice Chancellor and School of Law Dean Emeritus Ronald F. Phillips, will equip the School of Law to attract extraordinary students drawn to Pepperdine’s unique mission, provide them with enhanced legal training, and launch them into impactful careers that will honor God and change lives. With the Carusos’ unwavering support and the daily work of our students, faculty, and staff, I am confident that the future of Pepperdine and the School of Law is brighter than ever.”
The law school is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
The Caruso family has also made significant contributions to the University of Southern California, Caruso’s undergraduate alma mater, where he currently serves as the chair of the university’s Board of Trustees.
Caruso, whose father Henry Caruso was the founder of Dollar Rent-A-Car, founded a self-titled real estate company in 1987. He is also a former president of the Los Angeles Police Commission.
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All credit goes to Contributing Editor
Originally published on https://mynewsla.com
