Taubman family gift establishes first endowed professorship at Taubman College
With a $3 million gift from the A. Alfred Taubman Foundation, the University of Michigan will establish a new endowed professorship at the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. The Taubman Family Professorship is the college’s first endowed professorship and will support a leading faculty member in architecture, urban planning, or urban technology.
“We are grateful to family members and Foundation trustees Gayle Taubman Kalisman, Bobby Taubman, and Bill Taubman for their engagement with Taubman College, and the support that this gift provides,” said Dean Jonathan Massey. “The new professorship will help us recruit and retain distinguished researchers, practitioners, and educators who raise our capacity through teaching, peer mentoring, and field leadership.”
“We are proud to establish Taubman College’s first endowed professorship. We hope it will inspire others to help shape the future of architecture and planning by making a gift to the college,” said the Taubman family in a joint statement.
In 1999, real estate developer, investor, and U‑M alumnus A. Alfred Taubman made a $30 million endowed gift to the University of Michigan’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning. At the time, the gift was one of the largest in U-M history and the single largest donation to a U.S. school of architecture and urban planning. His support continues to shape the college today. Carefully stewarded and grown over time, the endowment strengthens student success through the merit-based Taubman Scholars program, travel opportunities, and enriched learning experiences, helping keep Taubman College a premier destination for the next generation of architects and urban planners. Since its inception, more than 2,000 students have benefited from scholarships supported by the endowment.
Alfred Taubman remained a steadfast champion of the college, visiting often and helping to advance its fundraising efforts until his passing in 2015. Today, Bill Taubman serves on the college’s Dean’s Advisory Board.
“Our father’s original gift to the college created critical scholarships that have helped the best and brightest students study at Taubman College,” the Taubman family said. “With this gift, we help ensure those students continue to learn from world-class architecture, planning, and design faculty.”
About the A. Alfred Taubman Foundation
Established in 1978, the A. Alfred Taubman Foundation is a private family foundation based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The foundation supports philanthropic priorities of the Taubman family in honor of A. Alfred Taubman (1924–2015).
About the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
For more than 100 years, the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan has pursued solutions to the built environment’s most pressing challenges. Programs in architecture, urban design, urban and regional planning, urban technology, and real estate development prepare students to shape a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world.
