Professor Gives $5 Million Gift To Law School

Langdell Professor of Law Philip E. Areeda '51 has donated more than $5 million to Harvard Law School, the school's news office announced yesterday.

The unrestricted gift is the second largest to the Law School from an individual in its history.

"Harvard has endeared itself to me because it provided me a wonderful education as a student at both the college and the law school, and a fine home for my development as a teacher and a scholar," Areeda said in a telephone interview yesterday.

Areeda's gift is the latest donation to the Campaign for Harvard Law School, a five year effort to raise $150 million to expand the faculty, modernize the library and increase student financial aid, Dean of the Law School Robert C. Clark said in a telephone interview yesterday.

With the gift, the Law School will have raised $148 million towards its goal, Clark said.

Areeda, who has served on the Law School faculty since 1961, was recognized last year with the Albert M. Sacks-Paul Freund Award for Teaching Excellence, an annual student honor voted on by the graduating class.

Areeda's gift will probably be used towards the renovation of the Langdell building, Clark added.

"Professor Areeda's gift is absolutely inspiring," Clark said. "For over 30 years he's been an incredible, spectacular classroom teacher. He's given us the definitive treatise on antitrust law. And now he's made this great financial contribution."

Areeda's colleagues yesterday praised both the gift and the man who gave it.

"It's an amazing--I wouldn't say culmination--but it comes after many, many years of giving kinds of talents to the law school and to cap it off with this gift is remarkable," said President, Emeritus and former law school dean, Derek C. Bok. "I would say that it's one of the most remarkable things ever to happen to the law school," Bok added.

Areeda is the nation's preeminent authority on antitrust law and has published the definitive work on the subject, according to Bok.

Many of those associated with Areeda say he represents the epitome of what a Harvard Law School professor should be.

"I think Areeda represents the very best traditions of the Harvard Law School as a teacher, scholar, lawyer and as a person in every respect," said Carter Professor of General Jurisprudence Charles Fried '65. "He's the platonic essence of the Harvard professor."

Areeda said yesterday that he hopes the gift will enable the Law School to continue its support of great scholarship in the future.

"I'm confident that it'll contribute to society in the future as it has in the past," Areeda said.