The Gunnery has received the largest gift in its history—a $7 million commitment from the Tisch family. The gift represents the generosity of Joan H. Tisch, widow of the late Preston Robert Tisch, and sons Steve E. Tisch and Jonathan M. Tisch, Gunnery class of ’67 and’72, respectively.
This extraordinary donation reflects a continuation of the family’s longtime support of the school, which began when Jonathan and Steve were students at The Gunnery. The Tisch Library was dedicated in 1975. In 1990 the Tisch Chair for Excellence in Teaching was established. Since then, such capital projects as the Emerson Performing Arts Center and Teddy House Dormitory have benefited from the family’s support.
The gift will be used to expand and renovate the school’s core academic building, currently called The Schoolhouse, and enhance the Tisch Library, the centerpiece of this facility. In recognition of this pace-setting gift the school will rename the building, The Tisch Academic Center. A portion of the gift will also be added to the endowment to support the academic program and continue to strengthen teaching and learning at the school.
“We always valued The Gunnery’s influence in our children’s lives and, now, my sons and I are pleased to be able to contribute to the school’s impact on current and future generations,” said Joan Tisch.
“This gift is a remarkable statement of confidence in the The Gunnery, and will have an enormous impact on our future,” said Gunnery Head of School Susan Graham. “We are grateful for this incredible leadership and deep generosity from the Tisch family.”
The Tisch family is known for its philanthropic support of cultural and educational institutions. Mrs. Tisch is the Co-President of the Tisch Foundation, a trustee of the Museum of Modern Art, CityMeals-on-Wheels and the Tisch Center at the 92nd Street Y. Steven Tisch, a producer perhaps best known for his Academy Award winning movie, Forrest Gump and his discovery of the actor Tom Cruise, has also generously contributed his time and financial resources to such organizations as UCLA Medical Center, The H.E.L.P. Group and The ERAS Center. He is also a member of the Board of Directors at the Tisch School for the Arts at New York University and The Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles. He is also the Chairman of the New York Giants.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Loews Hotels, Jonathan Tisch has served as the Vice-Chairman of The Welfare to Work Partnership, and currently serves on the Board of Advocates for Tufts University, where he is also the naming benefactor of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service. He is also on the Boards of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the Tribeca Film Institute and the Business Council for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In addition, he is on the Board and is the Treasurer of the New York Giants. He is also the author of two books - Chocolates on the Pillow Aren’t Enough and The Power of We: Succeeding through Partnerships.
The Gunnery is extremely grateful to the Tisch family for their continued support.