This event recognizes the Leo Goodwin Foundation for its philanthropic gifts to NSU totaling over $16.5 million dollars
FT. LAUDERDALE/DAVIE FLA. – Continuing its legacy of charitable donations, scholarships and grants, the Leo Goodwin Foundation celebrates the Rededication of the Leo Goodwin Sr. Building which houses the NSU Shepard Broad College of Law as well as the commitment of Goodwin Foundation Trustees Alan Goldberg and Elliot Borkson to NSU. The Rededication will be held on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at 5:30 pm at the NSU Law Leo Goodwin Sr. Building and will include a ribbon cutting ceremony and Leo Goodwin Sr. portrait unveiling.
Leo Goodwin Sr. was born in 1886 in Lowndes, Missouri, just south of St. Louis, the son of a country doctor who traveled by horse and buggy to treat his patients. Educated as an accountant, Leo Goodwin Sr. entered the accounting business in San Antonio, Texas. Goodwin founded the Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) in 1936.
Shortly after its founding, NSU stirred Goodwin’s creative instincts and became a major object of his philanthropy. A series of increasingly generous donations followed, supported by both Leo Goodwin Sr. and Leo Goodwin Jr. that contributed to the 1974 founding of the NSU Shepard Broad College of Law. In addition to the College of Law, undergraduate students live in the attractive Leo Goodwin Sr. Residence Hall on the main campus.
The Leo Goodwin Sr. Building broke ground in 1990 and was completed and dedicated in 1992. Following major interior renovations to its clinical education wing, the Panza Maurer Law Library, and other common areas, the Leo Goodwin Sr. Building renovation was nationally recognized in the 2017 American School & University Architectural Portfolio, the premier showcase celebrating the best in education design. Through ongoing investment and philanthropic support of the Goodwin Foundation and other donors, NSU Law continues its innovative teaching, clinical education, and a 21st-century curriculum that set NSU Law apart from other law schools.
The Leo Goodwin Foundation embraces a strategy to do good for the community and partners with other organizations trying to do the same. “From the very beginning, the Foundation has been a strong supporter of NSU,” said Alan Goldberg, President and Trustee of the Leo Goodwin Foundation. “We are honored that the College of Law has acknowledged Leo Goodwin Sr.’s legacy with the rededication of the Leo Goodwin Sr. Building at the Shepard Broad College of Law,” he continued. “The goal of the Foundation is to improve the lives of those who are the most vulnerable and to champion future generations through education and life skills,” said Elliot Borkson, the Foundation’s Vice President and Trustee. The Leo Goodwin Foundation has established an endowment for NSU to fund scholarships each year to deserving law students. These students are known as Goodwin Scholars. “Many of the Goodwin Scholars that have graduated from NSU’s College of Law have become the Who’s Who in the legal field and we look forward to continuing this tradition with future classes for years to come,” he said. This event is made possible by the generous support of the Leo Goodwin Foundation and its Trustees, Alan Goldberg and Elliot Borkson.
The dedication event will feature remarks by President Hanbury, Dean Garon, Goodwin scholarship recipients, and the Leo Goodwin Foundation Trustees Alan Goldberg and Elliot Borkson.
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Shepard Broad College of Law: Nova Southeastern University’s College of Law offers a cutting edge, skills-centered academic program in three-year full-time and four-year part-time divisions. With its recently redeveloped clinical programs, every NSU Law student is guaranteed a live-client experience. In-house clinical studies are supplemented by full-time field placement opportunities practicing law in Florida, across the United States, or select locations throughout the globe. To solidify student success after graduation, NSU Law pioneered a curriculum on the business of lawyering through the NSU Law Leadership Academy. NSU Law students have a myriad of curricular opportunities, including a rich, diverse curriculum, concentrations in International Law, Health Law or IP, Technology and Cybersecurity; dual degree programs abroad in Rome, Barcelona, or Prague; dual degree programs at many of NSU’s other 17 colleges; and much more. For more information, please visit www.law.nova.edu.
About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s Top 200 National Research Universities and located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa Bay, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information about NSU.
About Leo Goodwin Foundation: The Leo Goodwin Foundation, a charitable foundation based in Broward County, was established by Leo Goodwin Sr. Leo Goodwin Jr. It was the Goodwin family that founded GEICO Insurance Company. The mission of the Foundation is to improve the lives of all of those who live in the community. Their work began with the youngest and most vulnerable in the community. Their initial investments supported the efforts of Kids In Distress; the Boys and Girls Clubs; PACE Center for Girls; SOS Children’s Villages and many others whose primary focus was on the kids. The Trustees of the Foundation quickly saw the importance of education and made a significant commitment to Nova Southeastern University. The Goodwin name prominently appears on the buildings of the Law School at Nova’s Davie campus. In addition, the Foundation funds and distributes scholarships each year to numerous deserving students, with needs, at NSU Shepard Broad College of Law and Broward College. The Leo Goodwin Foundation has also sought to tackle some of the more immediate problems facing the community, including mental health issues, with a major grant to Henderson Behavioral Health; and homeless issues, with initial capital funding and ongoing commitments to Broward Partnership for the Homeless. The Trustees are also proud of the Foundation’s commitment to the Arts, including funding for the Broward Performing Arts Center; The Museum of Discovery and Science; and Young At Art Children’s Museum. It is the hope of the Foundation that its efforts will benefit the community as a whole and that their positioning line, “By Doing Good, We All Win”, is fulfilled. To learn more about the Leo Goodwin Foundation, please visit www.leogoodwinfoundation.org or call 954.772.6863.
