Parker S. Kennedy, a well-known local businessman who is chairman of the board of trustees at Chapman University, has donated $15 million to school, mostly for its law school.
The award was announced this evening at a reception celebrating the appointment of new law school Dean Paul Paton. The gift is part of a Chapman campaign to raise $500 million.
“This gift will really allow the law school to rise to new heights, and that’s because of your incredible generosity,” Chapman President Daniele Struppa said at the reception.
About $10 million of the gift will be for student scholarships at the law school while another $1 million will be for a Parker S. Kennedy Endowed Chair in Law. The allocation of the remaining $4 million will be shared at a later date.
Kennedy was chief executive officer and chairman for several years at Santa Ana-based First American Financial Corp. (NYSE: FAF), one of the nation’s largest providers of title insurance.
