Born in Philadelphia in 1900, Julius Silver (ARTS '22) was a leading attorney, corporate executive and philanthropist. The son of Russian immigrants, he was raised in the tenements of Brooklyn, where his father owned a sweater shop. Mr. Silver attended University Heights College of Arts and Sciences at New York University, where his superb intellectual abilities earned him the scholarship support he needed to pursue his studies.
Throughout his life, Julius Silver exhibited a passionate commitment to higher education and expressed his gratitude for his own education in abundance. Mr. Silver’s desire to enable other NYU students to enjoy the highest quality education and come together as a community of learners led him to establish the Julius Silver Residence Center, the Julius Silver Scholarships for Students in the Sciences, and the Helbein Scholarships for Outstanding Student Leaders. Beyond his contributions to development of the Albert Einstein Foundation for Higher Learning, he was a prime mover in the founding of Brandeis University, and served as president of the Library Corporation of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
A man of great vision and foresight, Mr. Silver played a fundamental role in the advancement of the sciences and technology. His commitment to and interest in the sciences also led to the establishment of the Julius Silver Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Techion-Israel Institute of Technology and the Julius Silver Chair in Law, Science and Technology at Columbia Law School.