Hofstra Names School of Law for Maurice A. Deane

Hofstra Law valedictorian and Chair Emeritus of Board of Trustees honored for his support, dedication to the Law School and University

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hofstra University will name its law school the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University to honor a distinguished alumnus with a unique, 30-year commitment to Hofstra that was first forged when he embarked on a law degree after a successful career as a business executive.

A former member and Chair of the University Board of Trustees, Deane's story is defined by distinction in both business and in academics. During his 26-year career with Endo Laboratories, he helped build the firm into one of the largest privately-held pharmaceutical companies in the nation and facilitated its eventual sale to DuPont.  After the sale, Deane was named President of the company, which operated as an independent subsidiary, until his retirement eight years later.  He continued to serve on Endo's Board of Directors for several years after his retirement.

At the age of 50, Deane enrolled in the Hofstra School of Law and became an exceptional student who graduated first in his class.  He was a mentor and personal and professional role model to his classmates and was an active and engaged member of his class.  At the 1981 commencement exercise, he received awards for both constitutional law and evidence.  The award currently bestowed on the law school valedictorian each year at graduation is now named the Maurice A. Deane Award in his honor.  

Over the next 30 years, Deane's bond to Hofstra and the law school deepened as he contributed to the university community in new ways, filling the roles of advisor and benefactor. As a University trustee and then Chair, he guided the university with particular attention to academic excellence.  Deane was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1982 to 2007, serving as its chair from 1989-1991. In 2008, he was named Chair Emeritus. For University President Stuart Rabinowitz, former professor and dean of the School of Law, naming the school after Deane is a natural extension of the long history shared by the man and the institution.

"Maurie holds a very special place in the history and the development of the Law School," President Rabinowitz said. "He is a person of impeccable integrity and with a deep commitment to academic and professional excellence. He was a brilliant student, distinguished alumnus and valuable advisor, trustee and chair emeritus of the Board of Trustees."

"The naming of a school after an individual is among the highest honors a university can bestow - something reserved for those who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment and dedication to an institution," President Rabinowitz said. "There are few people who fit that description better than Maurice Deane."

Marilyn B. Monter, chair of the Board of Trustees, lauded Deane's tireless support of Hofstra. "Maurice has been among the strongest advocates for Hofstra and our law school," Monter said. "It was an honor to serve with him as a trustee and it is a pleasure to be a part of this very special commemoration of all his contributions to our community."

Recently, Deane has made an $20 million commitment to the School of Law, which will be dedicated to enhancing academic quality at the School of Law. Previously, he has endowed a Distinguished Professorship in Constitutional Law, as well as a law school scholarship with his wife, Barbara. He has participated in the Alumni Mentor Program, served on committees for a number of key events, including the University's 75th Anniversary and the annual Gala Ball, and been honored as a recipient of the Alumni Award, the Estabrook Award and as a member of the William and Kate Hofstra Honor Roll, a roster of individuals who have made major contributions to the University.

Beyond his generosity to Hofstra, Deane and his wife Barbara have been active volunteers and generous benefactors to many causes and organizations.  The family has been involved with Mount Sinai Medical Center, where the Barbara and Maurice Deane Prostate Health & Research Center is named in their honor.  In addition, Deane had been a trustee of the North Shore University Hospital, and has donated time and resources to numerous organizations including Hebrew Union College and Temple Beth El in Great Neck, on whose boards he served.  Barbara Deane is the vice chair of the board at Bennington College and is currently the college's longest serving trustee. She was also a trustee and officer at the Nassau County Museum of Art.

Naming the school for Deane seems a fitting way to close out the law school's 40th anniversary year, said Dean Nora V. Demleitner. "It is a privilege to be dean at such an important moment in our school's history," she said. "This naming serves as the perfect bridge between a proud past and a promising future."

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from more than 150 undergraduate and 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business, communication, education and allied health services and honor studies, as well as a School of Law and the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine.

SOURCE Hofstra University