A PERSONAL APPROACH TO OPPORTUNITY

When the first recipient of the John M. Tanenbaum Family Endowed Scholarship sets foot on campus in the fall of 2001, the scholarship's namesake will likely stop by to say Hello.

John Tanenbaum '85 emphasizes a personal touch when it comes to helping another generation enjoy some of the opportunities he had.

"I like the idea of funding a scholarship," Tanenbaum says. "I like knowing that some students who may not have the financial wherewithal to attend the University are now going to get a Rochester education."

Tanenbaum, a lawyer who owns a real estate company on Long Island, endowed the scholarship last spring in what was, as of August 1, the lead gift for the 15th Reunion Class. Another part of the gift was earmarked for the campaign to renovate the Robert B. Goergen Athletic Center.

After graduating in 1985, Tanenbaum returned home to Long Island for a year to help with the family business before enrolling in a joint degree program in law and business administration at Washington University in St. Louis. After earning a J.D./M.B.A., he went back to New York to begin a successful career as a lawyer and business man.

Throughout, he has been an active member of Rochester's volunteer alumni network, helping to interview prospective students (both in St. Louis and in New York). He was elected to the Trustees' Council of the College last winter.

He is also involved with numerous local organizations and charities, including the Westbury, Long Island, chapter of the "I Have a Dream" Foundation. Founded in 1981 by New York City philanthropist Eugene Lang, the foundation provides a program for disadvantaged youth from elementary school through high school with the promise of vocational training or college scholarships.

The program also selects volunteers to provide mentoring, tutoring, and community activities for the students.

Although the program does not ask for financial support from volunteers (Tanenbaum, however, funded an additional student for that program), it does require a commitment of time and energy, something Tanenbaum believes is more rewarding than giving money.

"You never know how your guidance and your assistance is going to influence someone," he says. "And I like being part of that process, which will provide more opportunities for individuals who may not have as many opportunities as I had."

He resides in Harrison, New York, with his wife, Amy, and their two sons, Daniel, 2-1/2, and Samuel, 9 months.

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