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John, LAB’76, and Sharon Rogers
The Rogers Family recently made a $2 million gift in support of a host of initiatives on campus, including scholarships at the Laboratory Schools, facilities at the Law School, and research at the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture.Why I give to the University of Chicago
Together with my wife Sharon and my daughter Victoria, I support the University of Chicago because I think it’s one of the greatest universities in the world. It is such a unique place with academic richness, where people love to think about and debate ideas. I like what the University stands for and how it creates dynamic leaders who care about the right issues—inclusion, concern for others, respect for diversity and for different points of view. To have one of the best universities in the world in our city is irreplaceable, and I think it has helped to make Hyde Park one of the most magical communities in the country.
I also support the University of Chicago because I value the world-class education I received at the Lab Schools so much that I would like to open up the doors for as many students as possible.
How I support the University
I serve on both the University Board of Trustees and the Board of the Laboratory Schools. Previously, I have served on the Council of the Graduate School of Business and the Visiting Committee to the Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies. I am very active in other organizations, but my passion for the Laboratory Schools has made the University of Chicago my number one community activity.
Financially, I support several initiatives on campus, including scholarships at the Laboratory Schools, facilities at the Law School, and research at the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture.
Why the University is important to my family
My parents met at the University of Chicago Law School. My father, John W. Rogers Sr., JD’46, was a Tuskegee Airman who attended the Law School on the GI Bill and currently serves as a Cook County Circuit Court judge. My mother, Jewel Lafontant, JD’46, was the first African-American woman to graduate from the Law School. My parents valued their time at the Law School because of its intellectual rigor.
My daughter, Victoria, is following in my footsteps as a student at the Laboratory Schools, while my wife is currently studying at the Law School.
What makes the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools unique
The Lab School is unlike any other school in the country because of the great teachers, the challenging curriculum, the diversity, and the level of trust between the students and the faculty. The school creates this wonderful environment that helps young people develop leadership skills, entrusts them with responsibility, and teaches them how to make their own decisions. I think the school is a terrific platform for future leadership and success in life.
I want the magic of the Lab Schools to be maintained for at least another 100 years. I will help in any way I can to make sure its unique environment is maintained and I encourage other alumni to do the same.
