Renowned entrepreneur, philanthropist, MSU alumnus and former 
Detroiter, Eli Broad created an indelible legacy at his alma mater 
and hometown alike, envisioning and funding projects that will 
help create a better society and benefit people for generations. 

“Eli was a selfless, kindhearted man who dedicated much of his life 
to making the lives of others better. From the classroom to the 
boardroom, altruism was the backbone of his mission, and Eli 
embodied what it means to be a Spartan,” said MSU President 
Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D.

Eli and his wife, Edythe, often proudly pointed to their Detroit 
Public School educational roots. They married in 1954, the year Eli 
graduated cum laude from MSU. He went on to build two Fortune 
500 companies: KB Home and SunAmerica. 

Named one of the world’s most influential people by Time 
Magazine in 2016, Eli’s successful business career enabled the 
couple’s decades-long devotion to philanthropy across the areas 
of education reform, scientific and medical research, and the arts. 
Co-founders of The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, their $20 
million gift in 1991 to the Eli Broad College of Business and the Eli 
Broad Graduate School of Management—both renamed in his 
honor—was the largest gift ever received by a public business 
school at that time and underscores the growing success of the 
college today.

In 2003, the Broads helped develop a new generation of urban 
schoolteachers with another multimillion dollar gift, this time to 
the College of Education, which established the Broad Partnership 
between MSU and Detroit Public Schools. 

More recently, the Broads’ commitment to build a world-class art 
museum at MSU led to the Zaha Hadid-designed facility on MSU’s 
campus, which opened in 2012. Almost 10 years later, the Eli and 
Edythe Broad Art Museum at MSU continues to garner attention 
internationally while adding mightily to the arts at MSU and 
throughout the region. The couple invested more than $33 million 
in the museum, in addition to donating significant gifts of art. They 
also contributed significantly to the Detroit Institute of Arts.

In 2014, the Broads helped jump-start MSU’s Empower 
Extraordinary campaign with a $25 million challenge gift to inspire 
others to join them in making a difference.

Collectively, the Broads and their related foundation have given 
more than $100 million to Michigan State, making them the largest 
donors in MSU’s history.

MAY 2021

Landmark partnership 
will address social issues 
that impact health 

A partnership between Henry Ford Health 
System and Michigan State University, 
finalized in January 2021, is built on the 
concept that health care is a fundamental 
building block of a strong community. The 
organizations seek to enhance access to 
quality, affordable, compassionate health 
care through shared education, research 
and clinical integration for urban and rural 
populations.

Committed to redesigning care around 
patients and communities, the partnership 
aligns efforts across key departments and 
programs to advance the state of 
Michigan’s leadership in scientific discovery, 
education and exceptional health care. 
Henry Ford Health System and MSU will 
foster innovative, groundbreaking 
research; provide best-in-class cancer care; 
train and increase diversity and inclusion 
among the next generation of health care 

Continued on page 2

MICHIGAN STATE
U N I V E R S I T Y

This insert is published by MSU University 
Advancement, 535 Chestnut Road, Room 300, 
East Lansing, MI 48824; (517) 884-1000.

MSU’s Jewish Student Union (JSU) 
has deep ties to MSU Hillel and 
sponsors events, groups and 
programs that explore Jewish 
culture and ethnic diversity at the 
university. As a voting member of 
the Associated Students of MSU, the 
JSU also represents the interests of 
more than 3,000 Jewish students on 
a university level, helping ensure 
that campus is a safe and inclusive 
environment for the Jewish 
community. 

In the 2021/22 school year, the 
organization will play a more pivotal 
role than ever before, as so many 
students set foot on campus for the 
first time in 18 months—or for the 
first time altogether. 

A newly elected five-person 
executive board, led by Michigan 
State senior Diane Zashin, is at the 
helm of the union, which also 
includes a 28-member general 
assembly for initiatives on 
everything from athletics to Greek 
life to charitable projects and more.

“In the coming school year, one of our 
main goals as an executive board is 
to help ease that transition back to 
in-person events and activities,” says 
Diane, who is the JSU President. “It is 
crucial that as a JSU we focus on the 
students who have yet to experience 
in-person events and campus life 
due to COVID-19. Ensuring that these 
students know what the Jewish 
community at Michigan State offers 
them, and that we are here to 
support them, is crucial.”

Though the school year may still 
look different, and it may take time 
for everyone to get their footing, 
that support—in whatever way a 
student seeks it—is unwavering, 
says Nate Strauss (‘16), who as MSU 
Hillel’s director of Jewish Student 
Life, oversees the Jewish Student 
Union. 

“Whether a student is looking for a 
place to have fun with their peers 
and stay involved with their 
community, or whether they’re 
feeling lost and looking for 
fellowship that will help them to 
reclaim or reconnect with their 
Jewish identity—this is their place, 
and they are welcome here 
whenever they’re ready,” he says.

Diane is honored to be able to help 
lead the organization that, for her, 
did exactly that: provided her a 
“home” and countless opportunities 
to grow.

 “From the very first day of my 
freshman year, Hillel has been a 
welcoming and inclusive place,” she 
says. “The reason I wanted to take on 
the role of president was because of 
the foundation and community the 
JSU and MSU Hillel have given me. In 
my mind, the best way to give back 
was to serve them and help put their 
goals into action. To find out that I 
had been chosen to lead the Jewish 
community here at Michigan State 
by my fellow Jewish Spartans was 
surreal.”

LEARN MORE at msuhillel.org

New leaders for a critical year

Jewish Student Union poised to help 
new students and a newly opened campus
ELI BROAD,
champion son 
of MSU and
DETROIT,
1933-2021

ELI BROAD,
ELI BROAD,
champion son 
champion son 

and
and

DETROIT,
DETROIT,
1933-2021
1933-2021

Jewish Student Union 
President Diane Zashin 
will lead a team of four 
vice presidents and a 
28-member general 
assembly to plan and 
sponsor dozens of 
enriching, educational 
and entertaining events 
and programs throughout 
the 2021/22 school year.

With his wife, Edythe Broad, MSU’s most generous 
alumnus built an enduring legacy.

