EDITORIAL: Cancer Center gift refreshing

Leonard and Madlyn Abramson wanted to fund research and patient care - not name a building. At Princeton University, a benefactor gave $100 million toward a cafeteria, with the stipulation that his portrait hang on the wall. Amid such a climate, Leonard and Madlyn Abramson's $100 million gift to fund cancer research at the University is a particularly refreshing change. Although the University previously considered purchasing the Philadelphia Civic Center to house the new Cancer Center, the Abramsons didn't want their donation to fund any capital purchases. Instead, the gift -- among the 10 largest higher educational donations ever and the second largest at the University -- is earmarked for innovative research and patient care within a branch of the center. Leonard Abramson, founder and former chairperson and chief executive officer of U.S. Healthcare Inc., has been accused of being a ruthless, bottom line-oriented businessman. Yet he and his wife maintain their reputation as one of the most charitable families in the Philadelphia region, a reputation enhanced by their donation to the Cancer Center. Penn has been lucky in the past year to receive several large gifts supporting academic initiatives, including the $10 million from Roy and Diana Vagelos for undergraduate research and the $10 million grant from Jon Huntsman to support the International Studies and Business program. The University should continue to seek out benefactors like these who are willing to invest in Penn's academic programs -- and are able to understand that true generosity extends beyond a plaque on a building.