Donation to OU Was Top Charitable Gift in Michigan So Far This Year

A  is the top charitable donation so far this year in Michigan — and ranks among the top in the nation.

The $21 million donation from retired Chrysler executive Stephan Sharf to the university placed no. 27 of 300 on an "America's Top Donors" list compiled by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Other top donor gifts in Michigan include:

• A $1.5 million anonymous donation to the Detroit Dog Rescue;
• A $1 million donation by Dan and Karin Akerson to Habitat for Humanity of Detroit; and
• Three donations, totaling $17.2 million to the University of Michigan.

Sharf, who was born in Berlin, came to the United States in 1947 after earning an engineering degree at the University of Berlin, according to his biography on the OU website. He worked for Ford Motor Co. for eight years before joining Chrysler. He moved his way up the ranks at the company, retiring in 1986 as vice president.

In 1998, Stephan and his wife, Rita Sharf, received OU’s Spirit Award. They are best known at the university for their gift in 2000 to establish the R & S Sharf Golf Course. Rita Sharf passed away in 2001.

Sharf's gift is supporting scholarships and programs in the School of Engineering and Computer Science, as well as scholarships and the OU Women's Golf Team.

"His long legacy of gifts has touched just about every area of the university," said OU President Gary Russi in a statement earlier this year. "Mr. Sharf’s generosity and love of Oakland University knows no bounds."

The list of the nation's top donors is one component of the six-month Chronicle of Philanthropy project on America's "giving" habits. For a look at charitable giving in Rochester and Rochester Hills, read