JOHN W. ROGERS JR. GIVES $10.5 MILLION TO FUND STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS, CAREER PATHS
John W. Rogers Jr. gives $10.5 million to fund student scholarships,
career paths
A $10.5 million gift from University Trustee John
W. Rogers Jr., LAB’76, will support a scholarship
fund for Laboratory Schools students at the
University of Chicago. The gift will also establish
a professional development program for under resourced
college students to pursue careers in finance. This
raises Rogers’ total giving to the University of Chicago and its
affiliated Laboratory Schools to $15 million.
Of the new gift, $4 million is a bequest to the John W.
Rogers and Victoria Marie Rogers Scholarship Fund, a part of
the University’s endowment that is used to provide scholarship
support at the Laboratory Schools, which Rogers has been
involved with for more than 40 years.
“The Laboratory Schools and the University of Chicago
teach students how to think while respecting different points of
view and different experiences,” said Rogers. “It’s part of what
makes them such great places.”
Rogers, the chairman and CEO of Ariel Investments,
served on Laboratory Schools’ board from 1987 until 1994,
the same year he was honored with the Laboratory Schools
Distinguished Alumni Award. He returned to the Laboratory
Schools board in 1998. President Robert J. Zimmer appointed
Rogers to the role of the Laboratory Schools chair in 2009, and
in Rogers’ roles as chair and Lab+ Campaign co-chair, he has
helped the Laboratory Schools raise $80 million.
“John Rogers has contributed his time, energy and
unbridled enthusiasm to our community,” said Beth A. Harris,
interim director of the Laboratory Schools, who has known
Rogers since they served on the board together. “Once again,
his generosity is helping to make our schools stronger. His
bequest will help to provide an experience that he so valued to
outstanding students—ones who might not otherwise be able
to benefit from a Lab education.”
Another $4.5 million of the gift will establish and endow
the Ariel Investments Internship Program in Finance, an
extensive series of new programming that will encourage
students from low-income families and racial and ethnic
minorities to pursue career paths in the
finance industry. Specifically, the gift will
expand opportunities for minority students
to obtain paid internships at endowment,
foundation and non-profit investment offices.
Rogers believes this aspect of the program
sets it apart, as it will allow more minority
students to pursue careers in an industry that
traditionally has lacked diversity.
“Many groups have historically been
underrepresented in the finance industry,”
Rogers said, “and none more than blacks.
For example, a recent study showed blacks as
holding only 1 percent of top investment roles,”
he noted.
“This program will not only enable
students to learn about career paths within
different endowment and foundation and
non-profit investment offices, but will expose
them to opportunities within the different types
of firms managing a vast range of traditional
and alternative asset classes on their behalf,”
Rogers said. “The University of Chicago has a
large population of bright, talented and diverse
students who can make a difference in the field,
and I am very proud to support this initiative,”
he added.
Rogers’ gift will support career advising,
professional development workshops,
networking opportunities and funded
internships for College students.
“The University of Chicago has a deep
commitment to diversity and equality of
opportunity,” said Meredith Daw, executive
director of Career Advancement. “Because
of John Rogers’ gift, more students than
ever will be able to go after their dreams and
find meaningful careers, regardless of their
background.”
The gift also includes a portion of
unrestricted support. In recognition of Rogers’
support and the groundbreaking public service
of his late parents, the University named Rogers
Family House in the Campus North Residential
Commons.
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