Franklin Lakes Couple Gives $10M Gift To University Of Notre Dame

FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ — A borough couple has given a $10 million gift to the University of Notre Dame.

Anthony and Christie de Nicola's gift will fund an expansion of Notre Dame's Center for Ethics and Culture. They have been longtime supporters of the center and its focus of mentoring students, engaging in research, and promoting pro-life initiatives.

The university called the gift "transformative."

"Christie and I are excited to support the Catholic mission of Notre Dame, which seeks to contribute to human flourishing by addressing the most important issues of the day with exacting intellectual rigor, honesty, civility, and joy," Anthony de Nicola said in a statement.

The de Nicolas have been involved with the university for many years. Two of their children are recent Notre Dame alumni.

Notre Dame's Center for Ethics and Culture was founded in 1999. The center hosts the Sorin Fellows program, which allows students opportunities to experience internships throughout the world.

"We are drawn to the mission of the University and in particular to the Center for Ethics and Culture because we believe they are shining beacons of the complementarity of faith and reason," de Nicola said, "as they share and explore the transcendent truths of the Catholic moral and intellectual tradition with students, scholars and public policymakers."

The center hosts the Notre Dame Fall Conference, the university's largest annual academic event, and sponsors pro-life teaching and experiential learning opportunities.

"Our faith calls us to speak out in defense of the unborn child, the refugee, the poor, the disabled and the elderly," Christine de Nicola said. "We are proud to add our name to this center."

The de Nicolas past recipients of Notre Dame’s Sorin Award for Service to Catholic Schools and the Spirit of Service Award from St. John’s University, and they have been honored for outstanding service from the archdioceses of New York and Newark.

Christie de Nicola has served on the boards of Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey and St. Elizabeth Home School Association.

Anthony de Nicola is the president and managing partner of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, a New York private investment firm with more than $25 billion in capital. He serves or has served on numerous boards, including the Partnership for New York City, the Toigo Foundation, the Inner-City Scholarship Fund for the Archdiocese of New York, New York Catholic Foundation and DePauw University, his undergraduate alma mater.

"This tremendously generous gift from Tony and Christie will allow us to expand the reach of the center," said Notre Dame President John Jenkins. "We at Notre Dame are truly grateful."

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo: Anthony and Christie de Nicola (Courtesy of the University of Notre Dame)