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George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School

Virginia-Based Law School Receives Historic Gift

The Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University just received the largest gift in school history.
The law school received a $50 million donation from the estate of the late Judge Allison M. Rouse and Mrs. Dorothy B. Rouse, the National Jurist reports.
“This is a transformational gift that will further strengthen our law school’s position among the best in the nation and will provide a strong foundation for our university,” Mason President Ángel Cabrera says in a press release. “Philanthropy is critical to our mission, and this generous endowment will propel George Mason for years to come.”
A Permanent Endowment
The gift will go towards creating a permanent endowment, the Allison and Dorothy Rouse Endowment, which will help support 13 new faculty chairs of approximately $4 million each, according to the National Jurist.
“The Rouses’ gift is a major investment in the intellectual capacity of the Scalia Law School and will enable Mason to recognize, recruit, and retain outstanding faculty members – many of whom are among the most astute legal minds in the country,” Mason Provost David Wu says.
“These endowed faculty chairs will further strengthen our ability to provide top-notch legal education for our students.”
Accomplished Careers
Judge Allison M. Rouse served in the US Army in World War II for four years before he enrolled in law school at the University of San Francisco.
During his time in law school, Rouse met Dorthy Barker, who earned her law degree in 1949.
The two eventually married in 1952 and were both associated with the San Mateo County District Attorney’s office for over a decade.
In 1971, then-Governor Ronald Reagan appointed Judge Rouse as associate justice of the California Court of Appeal in San Francisco.
Rouse retired in 1988 and worked as a private judge and arbitrator for decades before passing away in 2005. Mrs. Rouse passed in May 2018 at the age of 93, according to George Mason University.
“We are grateful for this generous gift from Mrs. Rouse,” Scalia Law School Dean Henry N. Butler says. “Judge Rouse and Justice Scalia were both appointed to the bench by Ronald Reagan, and Mrs. Rouse was an enthusiastic fan of Justice Scalia. Mrs. Rouse was proud to leave a legacy that supports the lasting scholarship and jurisprudence of Justice Scalia.”
Sources: National Jurist, George Mason University 

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