February 10, 2014 | Read Time: 1 minute
Amount donated in 2013: $55.1-million
Beneficiary: Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law
Background: Mr. Fowler founded Fowler Properties, a real-estate development company in Anaheim and Ontario, Calif.
After what Mr. Fowler, 77, describes as nearly a decade of being out of touch with his alma mater, Chapman University, he and his wife became better acquainted with it in the late 1990s. They started attending more events at the institution, and their involvement deepened over the past decade. Impressed by the university’s growth and financial stability, the couple pledged $55-million last year and then worked with Chapman officials to decide where to direct their gift. They chose the law school after learning more about its goals to become more competitive in attracting students and faculty members.
The Fowlers placed no restrictions on the gift but said they would like it to be used in ways that will strengthen the law school, and university officials said they plan to direct some of the money to scholarships, recruiting new faculty, and academic programs.
These days Mr. Fowler serves on the university’s Board of Trustees and often helps Chapman with many of its real-estate transactions. He graduated from Chapman in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, and the couple’s two children graduated from the university. The Fowlers also have a grandson enrolled there and a granddaughter who teaches in the English department.
The Philanthropy 50: Browse the full list of America’s most generous donors in 2013.
Learn more: See these donors’ listing in our database of major gifts, America’s Top Donors.
