At Muriel Block’s bequest, $160 million was recently given to Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The gift is the largest in Einstein’s near 60 years and ranked six in The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s 2013 list of the nation’s top donations. According to Matthew Yaniv, Director of Media Relations, “Ms. Block stipulated that her gift exclusively support medical research at Einstein.” Therefore, the donation will not go towards the Einstein medical schools scholarships that are highly sought after by many of SCW’s pre-med students.
The donation is part of Einstein’s capital campaign, which went public in April 2013 and has raised $440 million to date. The Block donation will be used to establish endowed chairs for scholars to be known as Harold and Muriel Block Scholars. In addition to the scholars, several buildings and institutes have been named after the Blocks: The Harold and Muriel Block Building, The Harold and Muriel Block institute for Brain Research, and The Harold and Muriel Block Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Einstein and Montefiore.
“Current and future students will benefit enormously from recruiting top faculty and exploring new areas of research,” Mr. Yaniv said.
Muriel Block began her relationship with Einstein in the 1970’s when she and her husband Harold Block, a New York City real estate executive and philanthropist, joined Einstein’s Society of founders as members. Block served on Einstein’s Women’s Division national board and New York chapter executive board. Block continued her involvement after Harold’s death in 1987.
At the time of Muriel’s death in September 2010, having given nearly $22 million in 2003, she was considered one of Einstein’s most generous supporters.
According to Dr. Allan Spiegel, Dean of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Block’s recent gift of $160 million will strengthen the university’s research departments as well as its overall mission to improve human health.