Ronald O. Perelman W’64 WG’66 has given the University
$25 million to create a new home for Penn’s Political Science and Economics departments. The Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics will be located in the West Philadelphia Trust Building at 36th and Walnut streets.
Perelman is a frequent donor to Penn. His past gifts include $20 million to restore the buildings at the core of Penn’s campus and create the Perelman Quadrangle. His parents, Raymond G. Perelman and the late Ruth Perelman, in 2011 donated $225 million to the School of Medicine—the largest single gift in the University’s history.
In a statement, Penn President Amy Gutmann said that the gift will allow the University to “transform the existing space into a magnificent new building that will combine two key academic departments in one central location.”
Several administrative offices, as well as Penn’s Counseling and Psychological Services, which are currently housed in the Trust Building, will be relocated elsewhere on campus.
Perelman, who is the chairman and CEO of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc., is a member of Penn’s board of trustees. He was previous president of the Guggenheim Museum, and as a philanthropist he has funded projects in women’s health, the arts, and education.