MANDEL SCHOOL
NEWS AND EVENTS
June 08, 2007
Mandel Brothers Receive Highest MSASS Honor
The Mandel brothers -- Jack, Joseph and Morton -- were honored as the first recipients of The Advocate for Social Justice and Leadership Development Award from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Case Western Reserve University. In recognition of their family's commitment to educate leaders in the field of social services and nonprofit organizations, the Mandels received the prestigious honor during the MSASS and Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations diploma ceremony at Temple-Tifereth Israel on Sunday, May 20.
Grover "Cleve" Gilmore, MSASS dean, said the honor would only be given when the most selective criteria have been met.
"There was never a doubt about who should be selected as the lead recipient of our highest honor," said Gilmore. "In the community of philanthropists, the Mandel family stands alone. Their high level of involvement and long-term commitment to the education of leaders in the social services and the nonprofit community is in its own right, a reason for recognition."
Gilmore, along with Susan Lajoie Eagan, executive director of the Mandel Center, presented the award to the Mandel brothers.
In 1984, the Mandel family took a leadership role in creating the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations, the country's first program dedicated to the education of nonprofit management leaders. The cooperative venture of the Mandel School, Weatherhead School of Management, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Case School of Law continues to rank among the "Top 10" nonprofit programs in the country. Today the Mandel Center's new free-standing home is under construction on Bellflower Road in University Circle through a generous gift from the Mandel family. Its construction is targeted for completion later this year. Upon completion, the new Mandel Center will become a home for educating and developing Case and community nonprofit leaders.
Also at a time in 1988 when few social work schools were named, the Mandel family's support of the social work initiatives at the university prompted the naming of the school in their honor.
"The fact that Jack, Joe and Mort Mandel, and all of the Mandel family would support programs committed to nonprofit leadership and the quality of social service programs in our community and across the world, speaks volumes about their priorities," said Gilmore.
In addition to the Advocate for Social Justice and Leadership Development Award and earlier in the day, Mort Mandel was given an honorary doctorate degree during Case's Commencement ceremony.
For more information contact Susan Griffith, 216.368.1004.