Aptil 24, 2005

UC Irvine’s Graduate School of Management has received a $30 million gift from philanthropist and entrepreneur Paul Merage -- the largest single gift ever received by the university.

The gift will support the creation of endowed chairs that will facilitate the school’s ongoing recruitment of top faculty; provide fellowships to support the recruitment and retention of top graduate students from around the country; and initiate innovative research centered around business growth. In recognition of the gift, the Graduate School of Management will be renamed The Paul Merage School of Business.

“This is an extraordinary gift and we cannot express deeply enough our appreciation for Paul Merage’s great generosity,” said Chancellor Ralph J. Cicerone. “He has been a steadfast friend and steward of the campus. His commitment to our growth and vision is unwavering, and his gift to the Graduate School of Management is the strongest possible demonstration of this support....

Merage was the principal founder of Chef America, which -- under his leadership -- enjoyed a successful growth strategy through expansion of its product lines.  In the early 1980s, he created and introduced Belgian Chef brand waffles to restaurants and Hot Pockets brand sandwiches to convenience and grocery stores. In 2002, he sold Chef America to Nestle in order to focus on his philanthropic interests >>> Full text

Sent by Reza Moini

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