Leland “Lee” Pillsbury and his wife, Mary, have unveiled plans to donate $15 million to the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in what will be the largest single gift ever made to the school and one of the…
Leland “Lee” Pillsbury and his wife, Mary, have unveiled plans to donate $15 million to the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in what will be the largest single gift ever made to the school and one of the largest ever in hospitality education. The gift will be used to support the Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship, providing students with the skills and ability to think like entrepreneurs.
Lee Pillsbury said, “I am very pleased to be able to give back to the school that has meant so much to me. It was through my professors and my fellow students that I was able to develop as a businessman and an entrepreneur,”
“Entrepreneurship and innovation have been crucial to the evolution of the hospitality industry, and will continue to be. Through this gift, Mary and I endeavor to help the school guide and inspire future generations of entrepreneurs who will find their own creative ways to move the industry forward.”
“The Cornell Hotel School has long had an entrepreneurial component to its teaching and has produced many entrepreneurs successful in new ventures, family businesses and corporations,” said Mary Pillsbury. “Lee and I are delighted to help the school build on this successful record and elevate this commitment to a new level.”
The Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship is a platform for knowledge about forming new hospitality businesses, managing small and family-run businesses, franchising, corporate venturing, new venture funding, and innovation. Now with the Pillsburys’ gift, Hotel School leaders will work with alumni, other industry captains and the Cornell academic community to further strengthen entrepreneurship at the school.
“On behalf of Cornell University and the Hotel School, I extend my deepest appreciation and gratitude to Lee and Mary for this transformative gift,” said Michael Johnson, dean of the Cornell Hotel School. “We look forward to working closely with the Pillsburys to build a world-class entrepreneurship institute befitting our commitment to leadership in hospitality management education.”
The Pillsburys’ gift comes less than one month after Cornell University launched, Far Above…The Campaign for Cornell,” a five-year capital campaign that aims to raise $4 billion for the university and its Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.
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