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The Alvin Sherman Family Stage at the University's
campus theater is not the only donation made by Mr.
Sherman, although it is the most visible. For almost
thirty years, Alvin Sherman has provided vital
scholarship support to University of Miami students
- with a caveat: the recipients must come from
divorced or separated families. Although not a
product of divorce, at the time of his gift, Mr.
Sherman had several friends facing this difficult
situation. Through this award, he chose to provide
tangible assistance to children who are impacted
financially by their parents' separation. And he
hopes, in time, to fund the endowed scholarship at
$1 million. Mr. Sherman grew up in New York and
served as a B-17 pilot for the Air Force during
WWII, flying 35 missions over Germany. He and his
wife of more than 50 years, Gloria, were married
during the war. In 1955, Mr. Sherman founded the
Development Corporation of America (DCA), a real
estate development company with properties in Texas,
Florida, California, New Jersey, Ohio and Nevada.
Once he reached a modicum of success, "I felt it was
important to give back to the community and since I
didn't have the time to be involved, I have given
money."
In 1955, Alvin and his wife relocated from New
York to South Florida for the weather and the slower
pace. Alvin became affiliated with the University
while his daughter, Jayne, earned her Bachelor of
Arts degree in English here in 1969. After
developing a friendship with then President Henry
King Stanford, "I felt that the University of Miami
was a tremendous asset to South Florida and
therefore it was a logical choice. Dr. Stanford was
responsible for changing the image of the University
as a play school to a real academic institution and
I was happy to support him."
In addition to funding for the Sherman
Scholarship, Mr. Sherman donated a piece of New
Jersey property and, through DCA, an elevator for
the Jenkins Building at the School of Business.
Upon the death of his son in 1984, Mr. Sherman
lost interest in his business, and ultimately sold
DCA in 1986 to Lennar Corporation. But this time of
sorrow served as an inspiration for his
philanthropy. He soon established a scholarship at
Wharton Business School in memory of his son and
another, more recently, at Nova Southeastern
University. Mr. Sherman also supports the United Way
of Miami-Dade and Broward and other non-profits that
do not receive governmental funding because "a
private organization is able to react quickly to
community needs."
After his first wife passed away, Alvin Sherman
later remarried. He and Ruth now enjoy a slower
paced, yet active existence. In addition to his
philanthropic pursuits, he remains active in
business, makes time to play tennis four times a
week and works out as well.
- Arlene Adams Easley
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