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GLOBAL CROSSING FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN GARY
WINNICK
CONTRIBUTES $10 MILLION GIFT TO
C.W. POST CAMPUS OF LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY
International Financier and Philanthropist to Fund Scholarships
and
Restoration of Historic Campus Mansion
Winnick Commencement Remarks
 Brookville, NY, Sunday, May 14,
2000 - International financier and philanthropist Gary Winnick
and his wife, Karen, are donating $10 million to Mr. Winnick's
alma mater, the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, the
school announced today.
Mr. Winnick, who delivered C.W. Post's 42nd commencement address
to a crowd of 7,500 graduates and their families, is contributing
the largest gift in the campus's history. The gift will fund
scholarships in the School of Visual and Performing Arts and
the College of Management, as well as to restore the historic
mansion that serves as the centerpiece of the Brookville, N.Y.
campus.
The 89-year-old Tudor-style building, an architectural masterpiece
and center for the campus' academic, cultural and administrative
activities, will be named Gary Winnick House.
Mr. Winnick, 52, a native of Roslyn, NY, graduated from C.W.
Post with a B.S. in economics in 1969. He received an honorary
doctorate during today's commencement ceremonies.
Emphasizing his commitment to quality private higher education
for Long Island students, Mr. Winnick said, "I am a true
Long Island boy, born and bred, and very proud of it. My experience
at C.W. Post helped shape my success, and the school remains
a very important part of my life.
"The greatest reward I have received from my achievements
is the opportunity to reinvest my good fortune in the principles
in which I believe, and education is one of my highest priorities,"
the chairman and CEO of telecommunications giant Global Crossing
continued. "I am delighted to help C.W. Post prepare future
generations of students for leadership in the global society
of the new millennium."
"Mr. Winnick's generous gift enriches the proud heritage
of C.W. Post and paves the way for an even brighter future,"
said Long Island University President David Steinberg. "It
dramatically strengthens our ability to endow student scholarships
in areas representing two of Mr. Winnick's major interests, business
and the arts. It also allows us to completely refurbish the original
and historic building that is the heart and soul of the C.W.
Post Campus."
Mr. Winnick was introduced as commencement speaker by Long
Island University Trustee and Roslyn High School classmate Steven
Klar, who hailed him as a titan of business and philanthropy.
Mr. Winnick is a long-time supporter of C.W. Post. He has
previously given the campus $1 million to modernize and expand
the main cafeteria, which has been named the Arnold S. Winnick
Student Center in memory of Mr. Winnick's father.
Mr. Winnick's global investment career spans nearly three
decades. He is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
of Pacific Capital Group, Inc. (PCG), a worldwide merchant bank
and investment firm that has created successful companies in
such diverse fields as telecommunications, media, real estate,
health care and biotechnology.
He is also the Founder and Chairman of Global Crossing, Ltd.,
which has created a network connecting all of the major continents,
30 nations and 200 cities around the world. Since its inception
in 1997, Global Crossing has grown from four to 14,000 employees
worldwide.
Mr. Winnick and his wife, Karen, a writer and illustrator
of children's books, are international philanthropists who have
been strong supporters of colleges and universities, libraries,
literacy and mentoring programs, health care, medical research
and world peace and tolerance.
Mr. Winnick recently received the Simon Wiesenthal Center's
prestigious Humanitarian Laureate Award and is contributing the
lead gift to create the Winnick Institute/Jerusalem, a global
center for peace and tolerance. The center will be built in Jerusalem
by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. In June, Mr. Winnick
will be honored by the YMCA of Greater New York's Dodge Award
for his philanthropic initiatives.
C.W. Post is one of six campuses of Long Island University,
the eighth largest independent university in the United States.
C.W. Post is set on 308 acres in the North Shore communities
of Brookville and Old Westbury. More than 11,000 full- and part-time
students choose from a broad range of undergraduate and graduate
offerings as well as extensive continuing education programs.
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