The question arises whether colleges and universities should take donations from people with a shady character. Harvard University has declined to comment (Chronicle of Higher Education, July 19, 2019) whether the university will return donations from Jeffrey Epstein who 'created a vast network of underage victims for him to sexually exploit.'
Epstein's ties to Harvard stretch back for decades and too many powerful figures at the university. In 1990, Epstein donated money to construct a campus building for a former friend and dean of the faculty of Arts and Sciences. In 2003, Epstein pledged thirty million dollars toward the creation of the university's program in evolutionary dynamics.A spokesperson at the university said Epstein's gift is funding important research in evolutionary theory, viruses and cancers. In other cases Epstein supported other employees and faculty working at the university. This spokesperson from Harvard said these donations were accepted 'in good faith and with the philanthropy it is intended to have and will have a positive impact on learning, scholarship, teaching and research at Harvard.
If you knew your boss was a bully in the department, and you heard that this boss is a big philanthropist, would you have more more respect for this person?
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