Michael Jordan makes $1 million donation to his alma mater UNC

Jet, Oct 7, 1996

Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan recently pledged a $1 million gift to his alma mater, the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill.

The four-time NBA MVP, who was the College Player of the Year in 1982 at North Carolina, will help establish an institute for families at the university's School of Social Work. The institute will be dedicated to studying how poverty, child abuse, teenage pregnancy and care for the elderly impact families.

The gift is the largest donation ever made by a former Tar Heel athlete to the institution.

University of North Carolina officials recently announced that they approved the establishment of the new institute, which is to be named for the Jordan family. Jordan. along with his family, is expected to attend a dedication ceremony at the school this month.

"We really see the institute as an umbrella under which experts from different campuses can come together and bring their brainpower to shed light on how we can strengthen families," said Richard Edwards, dean of the School of Social Work.

"The problems are so complex that no one discipline can have all the answers," he added.

Jordan's mother, Deloris, has served on the board of advisers at the university's School of Social Work for years and is a champion of family values as illustrated in her book, Family First. The institute is scheduled to begin operating this year.