Late School Teacher Gives $3.2 Million for Arts and Early Childhood Education

The late Marilyn Stein (BA ’55, education) of Denver has bestowed $3.2 million of her estate to fund the arts and early childhood education programming at the University of Denver.

This significant gift, which the University recently received, supports the creation of endowments for the Lamont School of Music, the Morgridge College of Education and the School of Art and Art History in the following ways:

• $1.1 million will support the Lamont School of Music to fund student learning and creativity in the performing arts. For instance, the endowment can fund the repair and replacement of musical instruments, such as percussion sets and pianos, which are heavily used on a daily basis.
• $1 million will support the Morgridge College of Education’s Fisher Early Learning Center and fund student scholarships and speech therapists.
• $1.1 million will support the School of Art and Art History to fund materials that facilitate student learning and creativity in the visual arts. For example, this gift enables faculty to purchase a digitally programmable kiln for ceramics students, textbooks for art history students or darkroom equipment for photography students.

“Ms. Stein’s estate gift significantly increases our ability to serve and teach our students,” says University Chancellor Rebecca Chopp. “As a teacher, Ms. Stein understood firsthand the financial hurdles facing educators. It’s appropriate that her estate gift creates a legacy at DU through which we can honor her lifelong passion for education and the arts.”

A Denver native and lifelong resident, Stein was a kindergarten teacher for the Englewood School District and Denver Public Schools. She attended East High School before graduating from the University of Denver with a BA in education in 1955. According to those who knew Stein, her work was her passion and the impact she had on children during her lifetime was monumental.

“This generous expression of philanthropy indicates a deep confidence in the University of Denver to realize Ms. Stein’s vision for future generations of students,” says Armin Afsahi, vice chancellor for advancement. “We are grateful that she chose DU for her gift.”

Stein, whose birthday would have been today, died on Nov. 29, 2014, at the age of 81.

The original article is available in the DU Magazine.

You can also learn more in the Denver Post .