The Hoover Institution, Stanford University, announced today that a new endowed fund has been established by Leonard and Shirley Ely of Palo Alto, California. The endowment will support the Leonard and Shirley Ely Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution.
The Elys are leading philanthropists in Silicon Valley with an active, long-term relationship with the Hoover Institution and Stanford University.
This new endowment sustains an Ely family tradition of involvement with Stanford that, but for its first year, spans the entire life of the University. Both Leonard and Shirley Ely attended Stanford University as part of the class of 1948. Leonard received his B.S. in economics in 1948 and his M.B.A. in 1950. His father was the first professor of orthopedics at Stanford Medical School and his grandfather, Ray Lyman Wilbur, served as the University's third President. "I met President Hoover when I was a Stanford student and enjoyed hearing his stories of fishing trips with my grandfather. I came to admire him greatly for his public service, philanthropy and principles," said Leonard Ely. "Shirley and I are very pleased to support the Institution he [Hoover] called 'my major contribution to American life' in this way."
It was also announced that Senior Fellow John Cogan has been appointed the first Leonard and Shirley Ely Senior Fellow. The Director of the Hoover Institution, John Raisian, said: "Leonard and Shirley Ely have stepped forward to significantly help the Hoover Institution at this time by endowing a senior fellow position. They have long been admirers John Cogan. Underwriting his position will benefit the Hoover Institution significantly, now and in perpetuity. I am pleased and proud to announce John Cogan as the first Leonard and Shirley Ely Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution effective immediately. We are deeply indebted to Leonard and Shirley for their outstanding generosity."
Cogan has been a fellow of the Hoover Institution since 1979. He received his A.B. and Ph.D. degrees in Economics from University of California, Los Angeles, and served in the Department of Labor and Office of Management and Budget in the Reagan Administration. Cogan's current work concerns the federal budget and fiscal policy, with particular attention to Social Security issues, and he serves as a key adviser to the Presidential campaign of Texas Governor George W. Bush.
"We are thrilled by the appointment of John Cogan as the first Ely Fellow," the Elys said. "We have heard him speak about key public policy issues and have read many of his publications. His understanding of economic principles and political behavior sets him apart, and we look for him to continue to be a major player on the national scene for many years."
"This is a great honor and privilege, made all the more special because it recognizes two remarkable and wonderful people," said Cogan. "Like the philanthropy of the Elys, my public policy work seeks to improve the lives of our fellow citizens. I will strive to be worthy of their confidence in the Hoover Institution and my efforts."
