March 11, 2009
Think Tank Analyzes Much-Watched Donor Dispute
To dissect the nuances of the battle between Princeton University and the Robertson family, the Hudson Institute’s Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal has collected a variety of opinions on it.
The bitter dispute centered on an endowment, known as the Robertson Foundation, that supports the university’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. The endowment was established in 1961 by Charles and Marie Robertson. William Robertson, their son, and other family members sued the university in 2002, saying the university had not adhered to the terms of the gift.
The dispute was settled in December. (Read The Chronicle’s article about the settlement.)
The Bradley Center asked about a dozen nonprofit thinkers to discuss what the fight means for donors and the recipients of their gifts — and the opinions differ greatly.
For example, Neal B. Freeman, chairman of the Foundation Management Institute, writes that the settlement was a victory for the Robertsons and other philanthropists. But Pablo Eisenberg, a senior fellow at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute and regular contributor to The Chronicle’s opinion page, calls the Robertson family’s effort a waste of time and money.
A 22-page summary of the comments on the dispute is available free on the center’s Web site.
What do you think of the Robertson case?
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