User:Sir. Somerset/draftingtable/DavidBooth

Philanthropy

David G. Booth has been recognized for making one of the largest endowments to an American university in history, giving back to his Alma mater the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business $300-million in November of 2008.

The payment towards the university is being spread over a period of years, and will be partly in cash and in the form of a considerable share of stock in the finance firm's parent company, Dimensional Holdings. The fund's general purpose is to further the school publications and research centers, as well as the faculty's professional development that includes securing the employment of the best professors in the academe.

Also, there is opportunity to use part of the amount to expand the university's reputation as a regional player through its international campuses in London and Singapore. Booth had graduated from the university in 1971 with a Masters in Business Administration. He is also a trustee of the University's business school, which is now named The The University of Chicago Booth School of Business in his honor.

David and his wife Suzanne Deal Booth were named by BusinessWeek as number 34 of 2008's 50 Top American Givers. The list recognizes annually the 50 most generous U.S. Philanthropists. They are cited as having donated $309 million between the years 2004-2008.

In 2007 Booth, along with his wife, also gave $10 million in 1997 to support the construction of a campus building, and in 2004 gave $9 million to the University of Kansas to fund a Booth Family Hall of Athletics.

Their philanthropy focus has been educational institutions and art restoration projects. In 1998 Booth created the Friends of Heritage Preservation, which acts as a rapid response team for art preservation initiatives, encompassing both entire historical sites to single works of art.