Brown University Receives $100-Million for Its Medical School

By M.J. Prest

Brown University has received a $100-million grant for its medical school from the Warren Alpert Foundation, in Providence, R.I. Mr. Alpert is the chairman and founder of Warren Equities, a Providence marketing company for several gasoline companies and convenience stores throughout New England.

The university, also in Providence, plans to rename the medical school in honor of Mr. Alpert. The money, which will be paid within the next 10 years, will go toward a new building to house classrooms and offices, and will also support biomedical research, endowed professorships and scholarships, and faculty recruitment. The grant comes in support of Brown's $1.4-billion capital campaign, bringing its commitments to date up to $935-million. Brown's campaign, which was officially announced last year, seeks to raise that sum by 2010.

Ronald Vanden Dorpel, senior vice president for university advancement at Brown, said that because Warren Equities has its headquarters in Providence, Mr. Alpert has witnessed the impact of Brown's medical school on the treatment of patients throughout the state.

"The quality of health care in Rhode Island has improved because of the hospitals affiliated with the medical school," Mr. Vanden Dorpel said.

He also said Mr. Alpert has long had an interest in supporting clinical care and research at medical schools — in 1993, Mr. Alpert made a gift of $20-million to Harvard Medical School for its research center.

Mr. Alpert founded Warren Equities in 1950, after he graduated from Boston University in 1942 and served in military intelligence during World War II. He earned his master's degree in business administration from Harvard University in 1947.

Warren Equities was ranked No. 216 on Forbes magazine's latest list of the 500 largest private companies in the United States.