$50 Million Legacy Gift to Penn Arts & Sciences Funds Undergraduate Aid

Levy

Throughout his lifetime, and now through an estate gift of over $42 million, William J. Levy, W’57, L’64, has contributed $50 million in support of undergraduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania who have demonstrated a desire to contribute to society.

“During his life, Bill Levy was a Penn student, alumnus, and dedicated friend to Penn. Generously establishing the William J. Levy Endowed Scholarship over two decades ago, he shared our belief that service-oriented leadership is crucial to making headway on the great challenges of our time,” said Interim President J. Larry Jameson. “I am deeply grateful for this gift that will support deserving undergraduates with a proven commitment to their communities. His legacy will not only uplift future leaders, but it will also touch societies far beyond Penn’s campus.”

The William J. Levy Endowed Scholarship Fund will support over 40 civic-minded students in the College annually, providing an opportunity for them to receive a Penn Arts & Sciences education, regardless of their financial backgrounds.

“Bill’s gift will directly impact the lives of undergraduate students at Penn for decades to come, ushering in a new generation of service-oriented leaders that will help change the world for the better,” said Steven J. Fluharty, Dean and Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Psychology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience.

Levy grew up in Pittsburgh where his family owned the Warren Grocery Company chain of stores. He graduated from the Wharton School in 1957 and then served in the Navy for two years. After briefly working for his father, Levy returned to Penn to attend law school, graduating in 1964. He went on to work in the Philadelphia Public Defenders office and the U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., and eventually founded the private investment firm of Warren-Potomac, Inc.

A private man with a dry wit and an avid art collector, Levy was a dedicated friend and mentor who never missed an opportunity to attend scholarship events and meet with students. His philanthropy extended beyond Penn, including contributions to various organizations supporting the arts and championing equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community.

 

Arts & Sciences News

Marisa C. Kozlowski Named Next Associate Dean for the Natural Sciences

Kozlowski, who joined the Penn faculty in 1997, succeeds Mark Trodden, who transitions to the Dean of Penn Arts & Sciences on June 1.

View Article >
One Fourth Year, One Alum Receive 2025 Hertz Fellowship

Eric Tao, C’25, Gr’25 (left), and Suraj Chandran, C’23, were awarded the honor, part of a group of 19 fellows selected this year. Each one receives five years of funding toward a doctoral program.

View Article >
Benjamin Nathans Wins 2025 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction

Nathans, Alan Charles Kors Endowed Term Professor of History, won for his book “To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement.”

View Article >
Mark Devlin Elected to National Academy of Sciences

He joins three others from Penn to receive the honor this year, all recognized for “distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.”

View Article >
Michael Jones-Correa and Sophia Rosenfeld Elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences

They join three others from the University of Pennsylvania, selected as part of the Academy’s mission to convene leaders from “every field of human endeavor to examine new ideas, address issues of importance to the nation and the world, and work together.”

View Article >
Eva Del Soldato Awarded 2025-26 Rome Prize

She joins Sean Burkholder, of the Weitzman School of Design, and just 33 others in receiving the prestigious honor from the American Academy in Rome.

View Article >