Troy businessman and philanthropist Marvin Danto has been honored by the Wayne State College of Engineering with its prestigious socius collegii award, which recognizes a non-alum for his or her contributions to the College.

Danto was studying engineering at Wayne State before duty to country interrupted his education and brought him to the European theatre during World War II. Upon his return, he launched a career in furniture retail, eventually becoming a leader in the industry, real estate development, and in his community.

Danto, and his wife Betty Danto, have generously given a $3 million gift to support the new Marvin Danto Engineering Development Center.

They have a residence in Longboat Key, Fla., as well as a local residence in Bloomfield Hills. Marvin is the chairman and chief executive officer of the Danto Investment Company in Troy and founder of the Michigan Design Center and the Design Center of the Americas. Marvin was also the president and owner of Englander Furniture Shops from 1945 to 1968 and chief executive officer and chairman of the Englander-Triangle, Inc., from 1969 to 1973.

The Dantos have established the Karen Ruth Lacoff Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Dance in 1999 at Wayne State University. They have three children and five grandchildren.

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 in metropolitan Detroit. The College of Engineering, with more than 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students, offers a wide range of fully accredited engineering disciplines. Its well-respected graduates represent a large force in Michigan industry and the engineering field.