McCourt Donates Another $100 Million to GU

Real-estate entrepreneur Frank H. McCourt Jr., who gave $100 million in 2013 to launch Georgetown University’s School of Public Policy, has given his namesake school another $100-million gift. The new donation will ensure “a diverse pipeline of public servants at all levels of government and beyond,” wrote Christopher Murphy, GU’s vice president for government relations and community engagement, in an email.

Half the funds will underwrite financial aid and scholarships and half will be invested in research and faculty. “The commitment is an important step toward removing barriers for tomorrow’s policy makers and public servants and advances Georgetown’s aspiration to build the nation’s most inclusive school of public policy in the nation,” wrote Murphy.

The $50 million contribution to financial aid and scholarships sets the foundation for McCourt School alumni to enter public service without the burden of loans. The other $50 million will support a doubling of the school’s faculty. The school plans to add undergraduate and doctoral programs to the master’s degree program it now offers.

Also, participants in the National Urban Fellows program, which focuses on opportunities for mid-career leaders and other professionals in underrepresented groups, will attend tuition-free in 2021-2022. The McCourt School is the academic home of the 50-year-old graduate program.

The Boston-born McCourt, who graduated from Georgetown in 1975, is a former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He currently owns the Los Angeles Marathon, a French soccer club, Olympique de Marseille, and half of a prestigious show-jumping series, the Longines Global Champions Tour. His father, two brothers and one of his sons also graduated from GU, the son in 2005.

tagsChristopher MurphyFrank H. McCourt Jr.georgetown universityJohn DeGioiaLongines Global Champions TourLos Angeles MarathonMcCourt School of Public PolicyNational Urban Fellows