Dear members of the School of Arts & Sciences community,

I hope that you are doing well, and I know that we can all use some good news these days. Thus, I am delighted to share the exciting news that Arthur Satz—a music major from the University’s Class of 1951 and the late president emeritus at the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID)—has bequeathed the largest endowed gift ever in support of the humanities at the University of Rochester’s School of Arts & Sciences. Satz’s visionary generosity will establish the school’s first named department—the Arthur Satz Department of Music—and a minimum of five professorships in humanities-related fields.

The Satz professorships will serve a vital role in helping the school recruit, retain, support, and recognize faculty members who have made outstanding contributions in the humanities. Honey Meconi, a professor with appointments at both the School of Arts & Sciences and Eastman School of Music, has been awarded the first of these honors, the rest of which will be awarded in the next few years. She has been named the Arthur Satz Professor for the Department of Music.

Arthur’s gift is truly transformational and underscores the importance of a liberal arts, humanities-focused, and music-inspired education—one offered through the best faculty in their fields. It benefits students who are passionate about music but will likely not pursue it professionally, for example, the future physicist who wants to perform and understand music theory. Arthur knew that students could do both here and that music and the humanities would prepare them for life.

This unprecedented gift allows us to look long term and focus on the future, knowing that we can forever support areas that are vital to the educational experience here and the human experience everywhere. The humanities are fundamental to our shared human experience. Studying them and appreciating them give us context. By immersing ourselves in literature, history, art, and philosophy, we improve our ability to think contextually and we can better understand the impact of our societal actions as well as our individual ones. Arthur knew this. Few people have the vision, the dream, and the means to do what he has done.

I encourage you to visit the University’s website for more information about Arthur Satz and his transformational gift.

Best wishes,

Gloria Culver
Dean
School of Arts & Sciences