Washington University in St. Louis Olin Business School (WashU Olin) has announced the receipt of a $10 million gift from Jerry Kent, BSBA ’78, MBA ’79, and his wife, Judy Kent.
The gift, which is the largest awarded to the school in the past decade, is the most recent in a long list of actions taken by Jerry and Judy Kent to support Olin Business School. Judy Kent spoke of the couple’s “duty to give back” to the school which helped them become “as fortunate as we have.”
“We’ve been involved with Olin for so long,” she said, “that I feel like the school is part of our family. And when family needs something or has a significant opportunity, you want to help.”
What is the Kents’ Gift For?
The $10 million, which has been pledged through With You: The WashU Campaign, has two purposes: to establish an endowed deanship, and to further the school’s Business of Health initiative.
An Endowed Deanship
The gift creates an endowed deanship at Olin, named the Judy and Jerry Kent Deanship, after its benefactors. The deanship will first be led by Mike Mazzeo, Olin’s current dean, and subsequently by all future Olin deans.
Establishing this deanship serves two purposes: first, to honor the work of the current dean; second, to ensure the resources needed to advance the school’s mission are available to all future deans. The first is a cause close to Jerry Kent’s heart: His role as chair of the school’s national council has granted him proximity to Mazzeo and the skills with which he has navigated an increasingly challenging educational landscape.
“Mike has taken charge at one of the most critical times in Olin’s history,” Kent said. “Fortunately, [he] is more than up to the challenge.”
The Judy and Jerry Kent Business of Health Catalyst Fund
The second purpose of the gift is to create the Judy and Jerry Kent Business of Health Catalyst Fund. The Catalyst Fund aims to provide the financial backing needed to scale Olin’s Business of Health initiative and meet the demands of one of the U.S.’s fastest growing sectors. It will allow Olin to attract talented new students, position itself as a center of innovation, and climb the ranks to number amongst the leading schools in the business of health.
Olin has taken a number of steps in this direction; the fund is the latest. It follows the addition of a specialization in healthcare management to the MBA program, the strengthening of connections with WashU Medicine and the School of Public Health, the hiring of new faculty, and the establishment of partnerships with the robust health business community of St. Louis.
“We want our gift to be a catalyst to accelerate and elevate Olin’s ability to make this program a real leader among its peers,” said Jerry Kent. “Success in healthcare, like any profession, requires business acumen. We need people in healthcare with keen business minds who help improve the quality of life for generations to come.”
The Kents have pledged $5 million to each of these projects.
Who are Judy and Jerry Kent?
Both Jerry and Judy Kent have supported the Olin School of Business since 1998. Their support has spanned board positions, gifts, and scholarships. In 2008, they founded the four-year Kent Scholars Program for undergraduate business students; a program which has funded the studies of 95 students to date.
Speaking of the Kents’ commitment to Olin, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin explained that “Jerry and Judy have shaped the trajectory of Olin through their decades of partnership and support.”
Jerry Kent, an MBA alumnus of Olin, has served on WashU’s Board of Trustees for many years and numbers amongst the board’s executive committee. Olin has twice awarded him the Distinguished Alumni Award, once in 1999 and once in 2002.
Jerry is an industry leader and entrepreneur in the telecommunications and technology industries. He co-founded Charter Communications in 1993, leading the company to a public offering which ranked, at the time, as the third-largest in U.S. history. Later, he co-founded St. Louis-based technology companies TierPoint and Cequel II, the latter of which he also chairs and leads as CEO.
Judy Kent is recognized in the St. Louis community for her philanthropy and volunteer work. She serves on the board of trustees of the Stages St. Louis and as an emerita director of Easterseals Midwest. Easterseals, an organization serving individuals with disabilities, named her as philanthropist of the year in two consecutive years – in both 2015 and 2016.
Jerry and Judy Kent have received several joint awards for their work at WashU Olin and in the wider St. Louis community. These include the Olin’s Dean’s Medal in 2009, the Saint Louis Zoo Individual Award in 2018, and the Jane and Whitney Harris St. Louis Community Service Award in 2021.
Read the full announcement here and see our WashU Olin Admissions Director Q&A.
