Sanford Grossman, AB’73, AM’74, PhD’75

A generous supporter of the Chicago Initiative, Sanford Grossman recently made a $1 million gift to establish the Sanford J. Grossman Honors Scholarship Fund at the University of Chicago.

Why I give to the University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is a unique place to be a student or a teacher. It is an extraordinarily stimulating environment. At Chicago, I was surrounded by so many people pursuing new ideas and challenging old ideas. The University does not participate in intellectual fads but instead generates knowledge of great significance. I want to contribute what I can to encourage the serious intellectual pursuit of knowledge at Chicago.

How I support the University

I currently sit on the University of Chicago’s Board of Trustees. I also volunteer my time as a member of the Financial Mathematics Review Committee and the Physical Sciences Division Visiting Committee. I am active in the Connecticut Alumni Club and have hosted events for Chicago graduates in the area. Financially, I have endowed a scholarship in the College and a professorship at the Graduate School of Business and have sponsored a lecture series.

My ties to the University

I earned a BA, MA, and PhD, all in economics, at Chicago. The economics, mathematics, and statistics that I learned as a student have provided the building blocks for two careers: first as an academic and second as a hedge fund manager. Before becoming a hedge fund manager, I taught at the Graduate School of Business for many years.

I also met my wife, Naava Binder Grossman, LAB’68, AM’74, PhD’77, at a sociology department party when she was a graduate student. My father-in-law, Leonard Binder, is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Science and the former director of the Center for Middle East Studies.

Why scholarships are important

I grew up in a public housing project in Coney Island, New York. Without the scholarship support I received, I would not have been able to attend the University of Chicago. I endowed a scholarship because I want the College to be able to attract the most talented undergraduates, regardless of their economic background. I decided to base my scholarship on merit alone because I want to see the scholarship go to very highly academically talented students.