Hollywood couple wills millions to med school

Wednesday, November 12, 1997

Hollywood couple wills

millions to

med school

FUNDRAISING Money will create endowments in research,
scholarships

By Kathryn Combs

Daily Bruin Staff

A Hollywood couple has willed millions of dollars to the UCLA
School of Medicine, Provost Gerald Levey announced last week.

The multimillion-dollar gift from the Irving Paul and Mary M.
Lazar Trust will be divided into two endowments, research and
scholarships.

Levey called it a rare and precious gift.

"It’s like manna from heaven to get money like this," Levey
said. "It’s a very special thing and it doesn’t happen very
often."

According to the attorney of the estate, Martin Singer, "Mr.
Lazar chose UCLA because he believed very strongly that his estate
would do a lot better in the hands of charitable instititions that
could provide future medical care."

"He was very pleased with the care he received at UCLA, and he
chose (UCLA) in the hope that in the future his money would be used
to further excellent medical care."

Irving "Swifty" Lazar was an entertainment agent who represented
clients such as Kirk Douglas and Rogers and Hammerstein over the
course of his career.

Lazar was no stranger to philanthropy.

After joining the U.S. Army in 1942, he managed to raise $5
million for the Air Force Emergency Relief Fund.

While the exact amount of the grant was not disclosed by
officials, part of the money will to be used to develop a program
to fund research designed to evaluate the quality, access and
outcomes of medical care at UCLA.

According to Levey, this is important because of the pressures
of managed care.

"This is one of the most rapidly growing and interesting areas
of research in the modern medicine," Levey said. "We thought that
the Lazars would probably be pleased with this, and the individuals
responsible for their estate agreed."

A second portion of the money will also be used to build a
scholarship fund for graduate and fellowship students at the
medical school.

"It’s not that we lack scholarship funds, but it is one of the
areas that the dean has deemed a priority," said Sharon Douglass,
senior associate director of development for the school.

"Fees are going up, students are further in debt and money for
scholarships is usually harder to raise," Douglass said.

Levey said that these funds are needed and greatly appreciated
due to the rising cost of education.

"The cost of education is climbing precipitously," Levey said.
"We desperately need scholarship money and they left it up to the
School of Medicine to decide how best to spend the money."

"The money will provide benefits as long as the university is
here," said Douglass, explaining that the Medical school multiplies
its money through investments.

The money is invested along with other UCLA funds, Douglass
said.

"(The School of Medicine) never spends the all the money that is
earned," Douglass added.

While the medical school has not yet received all of the
donation, officials say that the flexibility of the award is one of
its greatest assets.

"It’s really wonderful that two people left so much to the
School of Medicine … especially because they had no connection
with the UCLA School of Medicine," Levey said.

"It was strictly their desire to help mankind," Levey said.