At 11 a.m. on the 83rd anniversary of the founding of Fairfield University, President Mark Nemec announced to students and faculty that John Charles Meditz, a graduate of the class of 1970, will be donating $50 million to the College of Arts and Sciences.
This the largest single donation in the university’s history. In addition, the College of Arts and Sciences will be renamed to the John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences, or Meditz College for short.
On renaming the college, President Nemec remarked, “We [he and Meditz] were up in Fort Lauderdale, and at the end of a dinner, he just said, ‘You know, how about John Charles Meditz? My middle name doesn’t get enough attention.’”
Further, Richard Greenwald, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences shared, “I can’t think of a College of Arts and Sciences that has been named in the last 20 years. That is an important thing. So we are on the forefront of that.”
This is not the first time that Meditz has donated large sums to Fairfield University. In 2019 Meditz donated $10 million for the RexPlex renovation, and was the leading donor for Bellarmine Hall Galleries, where he donated $2.5 million. Additionally, he donated in 2011, which led to the construction of Meditz Hall.
“I was talking to him [Meditz] about the impact of his education. He said that his arts and science education gave him depth. And he’s a finance guy, who cares about the arts and beauty and culture. He actually travels, visits museums, [and] collects art. He is the perfect example of what an arts and science graduate should be,” said Dean Greenwald.
In a Reel on Fairfield University’s Instagram, Meditz shared, “ Education should be multidimensional, and exposure to the liberal arts is certain. What is education? The willingness to experience other things and analyze them critically. I think the student body does appreciate the Jesuit tradition.”
Celebrations of the new name will begin next school year in the fall. The college will be renamed officially on July 1.
