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DePauw graduates give $100 million to Chicago to create global conflict institute
CHICAGO -- At a time of heightened global violence, as war and political persecution drive the largest displacement of refugees and migrants since World War II, the University of Chicago has received a $100 million gift to establish the first research institute and annual global forum of their kind devoted solely to the study and resolution of global conflicts.
The $100 million gift was made to the University of Chicago at the direction of two DePauw University graduates, brothers Thomas L. Pearson and Timothy R. Pearson, chairman and president/CEO, respectively, of The Pearson Family Foundation.
The landmark gift from The Thomas L. Pearson and The Pearson Family Members Foundation is equal in size to the second-largest gift in the school's history.
The Pearsons are business entrepreneurs, investors and philanthropists with a long-standing interest in the resolution of global disputes and conflicts.
Thomas L. Pearson graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in history and communications from DePauw, where he was a Rector Scholar and member of Phi Beta Kappa. He received a law degree from the University of Iowa's College of Law.
Timothy R. Pearson graduated cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in English literature from DePauw, where he was a Maxwell Scholar and president of Gold Key, the men's senior honorary society. He has served on DePauw's Board of Visitors and has been a member of the Harvard Business School's Dean's Research Society.
"The University of Chicago is deeply grateful to the Pearson Family for this transformative gift," President Robert J. Zimmer said. "Their generosity creates The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts and The Pearson Global Forum, signaling a vital and unprecedented step in confronting the new era of violent conflicts."
"The direct use of analysis and understanding to improve lives is a longstanding attribute of the University of Chicago," Zimmer said. "Importantly, the study of global conflicts is a field ripe for groundbreaking research approaches, and The Pearson Institute will seek to inform more effective policy solutions for resolving violent conflicts to make a lasting impact around the world."
Thomas L. Pearson said, "Our choice of the University of Chicago for this gift underscores our recognition of the university's history of fostering an environment where rigorous inquiry is successfully applied to society's toughest problems. It also signifies our belief that non-state conflicts, from drug cartels to insurgent organizations such as ISIS, increasingly constitute the foreign policy challenge of our time."
"The imperative is to identify new strategies now that will address the spectrum of entities engaged in violent conflict from global superpowers, to state and sub-state, and non-state groups. Cold War-type solutions alone are less effective in today's era of global conflicts, which requires a complex interaction of military, economic, political and cultural factors," Timothy Pearson said.
More people have been displaced this year, such as those fleeing the war zone in Syria, than at any time since World War II, creating a global humanitarian crisis. UN estimates show that in 2014 alone, an estimated 13.9 million individuals were newly displaced due to conflict or persecution, and that one in every 122 people in the world, a total of 59.5 million, is either a refugee, internally displaced or seeking asylum, Pearson added.
The Pearson Institute, housed at the Harris School of Public Policy, will concentrate its work in three main areas: (1) research to understand, prevent and resolve violent conflicts; (2) engagement by annually convening the international policy and academic community to recognize new evidence-based approaches and policies that reduce global conflicts; and, (3) education for the next generation of scholars and practitioners through new courses and programs, all designed to help resolve conflicts and inform more effective policies.
As part of the $100 million Pearson Family gift, Chicago will establish four named professorships in the Harris School.
The Pearson Institute will annually convene preeminent international policy leaders and scholars to ensure the regular exchange of ideas, and to maximize the potential for positive change by also bringing together participants from a variety of sectors concerned with global conflicts.
The collective aim of The Pearson Institute and The Pearson Global Forum will be to serve as catalysts in understanding the causes of conflicts, and designing, pioneering and informing effective new policies that will help lead to conflict resolution.
"We know the journey ahead will be formidable -- to find new ways through The Pearson Institute to study and understand global conflicts, to significantly and meaningfully impact and inform policy, and to share these findings around the world through The Pearson Global Forum," Timothy R. Pearson said.
"But this mission to contribute to a global society at peace, by developing innovative strategies and by convening leading scholars and policy makers from around the world, can make a difference in millions of people's lives. For those committed to making a difference in the world in which we live, we ask everyone interested to join us," he said.
The Thomas L. Pearson and The Pearson Family Members Foundation, through programs supported by its U.S.-based private philanthropy, seeks to encourage the study and resolution of global conflicts. This mission reflects the legacy of Rev. Dr. Richard L. and Ramalee E. Pearson, in combination with the Pearson Family's continued commitment to make a difference in the global society in which we live.