Supporting Generations of Commodores

For Bob Levy, BA’72, and his wife Diane, making a Vanderbilt education possible for the nation’s top students — regardless of their background or ability to pay — has been a goal for decades.

Since 1997, the retired chairman of Chicago investment firm Harris Associates, L.P., and his wife have achieved their aspiration, creating an endowed scholarship fund. By making a gift to the endowment, their support is perpetual and produces scholarship awards year after year — so far, they’ve made a Vanderbilt education a reality for more than a dozen undergraduates.

“Vanderbilt wants the best students, not the best students who can afford to go there.” That statement from Mr. Levy perfectly expresses the philosophy that undergirds Opportunity Vanderbilt, the university’s campaign to level the educational playing field by meeting 100 percent of students’ financial need without loans. The Levy scholarship has made a world of difference for many of our students and continues to fuel our goal of accessibility for the most qualified students, regardless of their financial circumstances.

Witnessing these students fulfilling their ambitions inspired the Levys to expand their substantial Vanderbilt legacy through an additional financial commitment: a bequest to further their support of diversity and inclusion at Vanderbilt through the Diane v.S. Levy and Robert M. Levy Scholarship.

“It makes me even more enthusiastic about what we’re doing at Vanderbilt,” Mr. Levy explains.

This generous addition to the Levy scholarship will give that chance to even more students in the future. Philanthropic leadership and foresight from the Levy family through their gifts and bequests serve as continual motivation for our community while encouraging and equipping future generations of Commodores to dream boldly and contribute to a better world.