Wilf ’84 donates $5 million to Butler, CJL

Wilf’s gift directs $4.5 million to the construction of Wilf Hall, which will be completed as part of the Butler College renovations. The four new Butler dormitories, designed by Henry Cobb of the architecture firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, will be larger than the previous Butler dorms, which were demolished last summer.

Wilf said in an interview with The Daily Princetonian that his donation anticipates his class’ upcoming 25th reunion.

“Mark has been a supportive donor to the University since he graduated in 1984,” Vice President for Development Brian McDonald ’83 said. “It really makes a huge difference to the University to be able to step forward ... he is someone who has not yet reached his 25th reunion and has made a very generous gift at a relatively young age.”

This gift, a part of the University’s “Aspire” capital campaign, is the result of discussions between Wilf and the University over the course of several months. The campaign, which began in July 2005, has raised $663 million, or 38 percent, of its total $1.75 billion goal.

“I was aware that Princeton’s involved with this current campaign, and this is not our first gift for the University,” Wilf said. “The fact that the plans for these dorms and this construction is happening now [make this] the right opportunity.”

Though donors like Meg Whitman ’77 have influenced the final design plans of their buildings by calling for features such as a large number of singles, Wilf had no impact on the final design, though he was informed of the architect behind the renovations as well as site plans.

“I did want to make sure that whatever gift [I made] would impact the residential and undergrad experience,” Wilf said.

Executive Vice President Mark Burstein echoed Wilf’s desire to focus on undergraduate life. “He was very interested in the undergrad experience and also very interested in the Butler project,” Burstein said.

The remaining $500,000 of the donation will be used toward the creation of the Jane and Mark Wilf ’84 and Wilf Family Fund for Jewish Life to support CJL initiatives and to encourage student leadership and service.

Wilf Hall, the room in the CJL used for services and meetings, is named for his family’s previous donations.

Apart from his monetary donations to the CJL, Wilf has also served on the advisory board for the Program in Judaic Studies and was a me9mber of the Annual Giving Special Gifts Committee during the Anniversary Campaign for Princeton from 1996-2000.

Wilf, who was a member of Wilson College and graduated from the engineering school with a joint degree in electrical engineering and computer science, resides in Livingston, N.J. Wilf is a principal at the real estate firm Garden Homes Development and is principal owner of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings.