'The James Bond of Philanthropy' Culminates Career With $7M Donation

Charles Feeney concluded his 35-year philanthropic career last month the same way he started it—with a $7 million donation to his alma mater, Cornell University.

This gift mirrors a donation of the same size in 1982—Feeney’s first donation to the University—which launched the Cornell Tradition, a program that awards 500 fellowships each year to Cornell students who “demonstrate significant work experience, a commitment to campus and/or community service and academic achievement,” according to the university.

Feeney’s commitment to philanthropy—which has inspired donations totaling almost $1 billion to Cornell and more than $8 billion of donations in general—has been dedicated to education, research, civil rights, youth and aging.