News
On May 17, during Case Western Reserve's convocation ceremony, President Eric W. Kaler announced that the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Foundation was the recipient of the university's President’s Award for Visionary Achievement. The annual award honors those who have made a profound, positive and lasting impact on the mission of the university.
The award was presented to Stephen H. Hoffman, Chairman of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation and President Emeritus of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, who accepted the honor on behalf of the Foundation and its President and CEO, Jehuda Reinharz.
“The Mandel Foundation has been instrumental to the enduring success of the greater Cleveland community and, importantly, to Case Western Reserve. We are deeply grateful to both Steve and Jehuda for continuing the Foundation’s longstanding support of the University,” Kaler said. “The impact of the Foundation on our campus has been extraordinary. Faculty, staff and students alike have benefitted from its tremendous generosity.”
Brothers Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel started their philanthropic journey in 1953, not long after launching the Premier Automotive Supply Company in 1940. The company went on to become one of the world’s leading industrial and electronic parts corporations.
The Mandel brothers’ philanthropic engagement at Case Western Reserve University dates back over four decades. In 1988, the family made a $3 million gift—at the time, the largest in the history of the University’s then School of Applied Social Sciences—to support construction of a new school building and ongoing programs. The donation also resulted in a new name, the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.
In 2013, the Foundation made an additional $8 million commitment to support a major renovation of the school building and establish an endowed position for its dean, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Dean in Applied Social Sciences, a role held by Dexter Voisin since last year. In honor of this commitment and the Foundation’s new name, Case Western Reserve rededicated both the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Studies Center.
Also in 2013, Mort Mandel became an alumnus of Case Western Reserve, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. Nearly 75 years earlier, Mandel had attended Adelbert College on scholarship (which later became part of the University), but his formal education was interrupted by service in the U.S. Army during World War II and the founding of his business. For his capstone project, Mandel wrote "It's All About Who You Hire, How They Lead…and Other Essential Advice from a Self-Made Leader," a book that captured the leadership knowledge and skills he had acquired over his lifetime. Mort Mandel was also an emeritus trustee and the recipient of an honorary humanities degree.
More recently, in March 2023, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation made a $2 million gift to support the University’s new Experimental Humanities initiative in the College of Arts and Sciences, which more deeply integrates education in the humanities with science, technology, engineering and math fields. The University will apply the funds to establish a new major in Experimental Humanities and provide funding support for humanities research projects, particularly those that drive innovative ideas through scientific collaborations.
About the Organization
Case Western Reserve University is a top-ranked national research institution located in Cleveland’s University Circle, a hub for culture, education, and health care. With renowned programs in engineering, health sciences, law, management, social work, and the arts and sciences, CWRU is dedicated to advancing knowledge and improving lives through education, research, and innovation. The university is home to more than 12,000 students from 96 countries and a global alumni network of over 125,000. Learn more at case.edu.
