April 24, 2006

A. Alfred Taubman donates $3 million to spur planning, construction of Damon J. Keith Classroom Building and Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University Law School

Planned construction of a new building at the Wayne State University Law School has received a major boost from industrialist and philanthropist A. Alfred Taubman, who is donating $3 million to the university for the project. The gift is the largest single amount ever given to the WSU Law School. It comes while the university is in the midst of an unprecedented $500 million capital campaign, which is well over halfway toward its goal.

Among other facilities, the new building will house a proposed Center for Civil Rights to be named in honor of federal Judge Damon J. Keith. Taubman, the widely known entrepreneur and developer of popular regional shopping malls, is a longtime friend and admirer of Keith.

The new building will replace the law school’s existing classroom building and will connect to a newer addition opened in 2000. In addition to the proposed Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, the structure will house classrooms, offices, meeting areas and an auditorium.

The Keith Center will showcase parts of the extensive Damon J. Keith Law Collection of African-American Legal History, established at Wayne State in 1993; the widely acclaimed “Marching Toward Justice” exhibit, which traces the history of the 14th Amendment; and the “Saluting a Giant” exhibit, an impressive collection of photos and memorabilia focusing on Keith’s career.

The new building, which is in the architectural planning stage, will be equipped with the latest wireless technology and will provide needed space to accommodate a variety of student, faculty and visitor services.

The law school intends to establish the Damon J. Keith Distinguished Chair in Constitutional and Civil Rights Law as the academic focus of the Keith Center. Plans also include fundraising for staffing, acquisitions, operations and educational outreach for the Keith Collection, which highlights the accomplishments of African American jurists and attorneys.

“We are pleased and proud that the planned new center at our law school will be named after distinguished Detroit citizen and federal Judge Damon J. Keith and that his longtime friend and civic booster Al Taubman is partnering with us in making this important project a reality,” said Wayne State President Irvin D. Reid. “Judge Keith’s devotion to the Constitution, his distinguished record on the federal bench, his strong advocacy for equal rights under the law and his service to the community and nation are exemplary. Mr. Taubman’s generous gift in support of this project is still another demonstration of his strong commitment to Detroit and its institutions. For generations to come, Wayne State students will benefit from his generosity.”

Taubman, a Detroit native whose philanthropy is well known in Southeast Michigan, is a member of the Wayne State University Foundation Board. He also serves on the executive committee of Detroit Renaissance, chairs the Building Committee for the Detroit Institute of Arts and is president of the Detroit Arts Commission. He, along with industrialist/philanthropist Max Fisher, was instrumental in building the Riverfront Towers apartments, widely seen as a symbol of Detroit’s resurgence and a magnet for attracting new residents to the city.

When Judge Keith expressed concern for the safety of civil rights icon Rosa Parks after she was attacked in her Detroit home a few years ago by an intruder, Taubman and Fisher stepped forward to arrange housing for her at the Riverfront Towers.

Keith, judge of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, holds a Masters of Law degree from Wayne State and is widely known for his landmark decisions in cases involving human rights, including a 1971 federal wiretapping case and a school integration case in Pontiac. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Wayne State in 1973.

"I have been lucky enough to call Judge Keith my friend for more than 25 years," said Taubman. "He is one of the finest individuals I have ever known, and the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights will be a fitting tribute to his extraordinary legal career. I am especially pleased that generations of Wayne State law students will be strengthened by his legacy of wisdom, justice and humanity."

Keith said, “I am honored that this new center of learning and repository for African American legal history at the Wayne State University Law School will bear my name. At the Supreme Court Building in the nation’s capital are the words ‘equal justice under law.’ Those words symbolize what lawyers, judges and all Americans should strive for always, and they are principles that have guided my life. I am deeply appreciative to Mr. Taubman for the way he has stepped forward to give impetus to this important project at Wayne State.”

Law School Dean Frank Wu said, “This project brings together Al Taubman\'s love for Detroit, Judge Damon Keith\'s dedication to civil rights, and the law school\'s leadership role in the legal community. It ensures our place as a center of intellectual engagement with important issues of public policy, urban renewal, and racial justice.”

The university will acknowledge this pivotal gift from Taubman during an anniversary celebration for the “Wayne First” Campaign on the WSU campus, May 25.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students.