Gift from the Heart
Historic $10 million gift to support research center on heart, vascular diseases
Jeremy M. Jacobs ’60 and his wife, Margaret, have dedicated their lives to leadership and service to their communities, giving generously of their time and resources to positively influence the world around them.
Their most recent investment in the Western New York community, a $10 million challenge gift to the University at Buffalo, will establish the Jacobs Institute, a collaborative partnership between UB and Kaleida Health that will support world-class excellence in heart and vascular clinical care, research and teaching.
The Jacobs Institute will honor the memory of distinguished neurologist Lawrence D. Jacobs, a beloved family member who passed away in 2001. Dr. Jacobs was chair of the department of neurology of the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and director of the Jacobs Neurological Institute and the Baird Multiple Sclerosis Research Center at Kaleida Health Buffalo General Hospital. Dr. Jacobs was world-renowned for his successful breakthroughs in the treatment of multiple sclerosis – including the FDA approval of interferon beta-1a (Avonex®), the most widely prescribed drug for patients suffering from relapsing MS. The Jacobs Institute is a fitting tribute to his life and work.
The Jacobs family has long invested in higher education, providing significant financial support for a number of UB’s most important academic initiatives. The $10 million gift is the largest single gift ever to UB and makes the Jacobs family the university’s most generous donor, with gifts totaling $18.4 million. The gift is made as a challenge to the private sector to support the vision for a world-class medical community in Western New York.
The Jacobs family has funded scholarships for exceptional undergraduates in the UB Honors College, provided financial aid to female student-athletes and created flexible funds for innovation and special needs. In the mid-1980s, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs gave more than $1 million to help fund two academic chairs and support a UB School of Management MBA program in China, the first academic partnership between an American university and that evolving nation. A School of Management building on UB’s North Campus bears the Jacobs name, in honor of the family’s long-standing generosity.
In 2000, Mr. Jacobs donated the architectural landmark Butler Mansion to UB for use as a continuing education and training facility. Renamed by the university as the Jacobs Executive Development Center, the building has become an important regional presence for the university.
Mrs. Jacobs and the Jacobs family are actively involved in the Western New York community in a variety of philanthropic causes and organizations.
Mr. Jacobs is chairman and chief executive officer of Delaware North Companies, a global leader in hospitality and food service that is one of the largest privately held companies in North America. In addition to his leadership of Delaware North Companies, Jacobs owns the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins and currently serves as chairman of the NHL Board of Governors. In 2003 he founded the Boston Bruins Foundation and supports numerous charities and organizations throughout New England.
Mr. Jacobs has served the Western New York region for more than three decades with his business expertise and philanthropic leadership. A longtime friend and supporter of UB, Mr. Jacobs has previously served as chairman, trustee and director of the UB Foundation, chairman of the President’s Board of Visitors, and advisor to the School of Management. He has been a member of the UB Council since 1997 and was appointed chairman by Gov. George Pataki in November 1998.
Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs have provided distinguished service and leadership to the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, which has designated them members of its Million Dollar Roundtable of donors. Under Mr. Jacobs’s leadership, Delaware North has received countless awards for social responsibility, community service and environmental stewardship; the company and the Jacobs family have donated millions of dollars back to the communities where the company operates.
In 2008, Mr. Jacobs was appointed by the White House to a third term on the prestigious Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, based on his strong support of the travel and tourism industry.
An alumnus of UB’s School of Management and the Harvard School of Business Advanced Management Program, Mr. Jacobs holds honorary doctorates from the University at Buffalo, Canisius College and Johnson and Wales University.