Funds will Bolster the Kislak Real Estate Institute and Support the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music
Woodbridge, N.J., April 3, 2024 – The Kislak Family Foundation has pledged an additional $2,125,000 to Monmouth University in support of the Kislak Real Estate Institute and the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music.
Of the pledge, $1 million will continue to support a need-based Kislak Family Scholarship for undergraduates pursuing a business degree with a real estate concentration; $125,000 will continue to support the Kislak Real Estate Institute’s Academic Challenge, an annual intercollegiate real estate competition; and $1 million will support the construction of a new 30,000-square-foot building on the University campus to house the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, related exhibition galleries, and a 230-seat, state-of-the-art theater.
“We are immensely grateful for the Kislak Family Foundation’s generous pledge and continued confidence in our mission,” said Monmouth University President Patrick F. Leahy. “This gift will bolster our mission to deliver an exceptional education to students today, while also providing foundational support for the future of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. The foundation’s support for both scholarship funding, and for preserving and sharing the diverse tapestry of American music, resonates deeply with our institutional values of excellence, access, and social mobility.”
The Kislak family’s philanthropic support and connection to Monmouth University dates back to 2006, when a transformational gift helped establish the Kislak Real Estate Institute as a center of excellence in teaching and research within the Leon Hess Business School at the University. The Foundation and University established the first credit-bearing academic real estate program in New Jersey, which was one of 65 in the country at the time and is one of 100 such programs today.
Since 2006, the Kislak Family Foundation also provided inaugural support for the Kislak Family Scholarship and Academic Challenge and funding for a permanent endowed directorship for the Kislak Real Estate Institute. The Foundation’s commitments honor the memory of the late Jay I. Kislak, an inspiring entrepreneur, real estate pioneer, and philanthropist. Kislak entered the family real estate business in 1945, making it his life’s work. After moving to Miami in the early 1950s, he established what would become one of the country’s largest privately held mortgage banks, originating and servicing loans nationwide for more than 40 years. Until his death in 2018 at age 96, Kislak served as chairman of the Kislak Organization, which today focuses on real estate investments and brokerage.
“The Kislak family business was founded in New Jersey in 1906, and I am proud of the Foundation’s continued support of Monmouth University and its impactful work,” said Jason Pucci, CEO of The Kislak Company, Inc. “Jay Kislak forged a living legacy by helping to develop students who will become the next generation of real estate professionals and it is exciting to be a part of preserving Bruce Springsteen’s important legacy and the history of American music.”
About The Kislak Family Foundation
The Kislak Family Foundation, Inc., is a private philanthropic foundation established in 1992 to support leadership and innovation in the fields of education, arts and humanities, animal welfare and environmental preservation, and other charitable endeavors in the United States and abroad. Based in Miami Lakes, Florida, the foundation provides grant funding to a wide range of nonprofit organizations and projects. For more information, please visit kislakfamilyfoundation.org.
About Monmouth University
Monmouth University is the region’s premier private coastal university offering a comprehensive array of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs in a dynamic and personalized learning environment. Located in West Long Branch, New Jersey, Monmouth University’s magnificent coastal campus is approximately one hour from both New York City and Philadelphia. Innovative academic programs, individual faculty attention, and nationally ranked Division I athletics make this private university a great place to find your future. For more information, please visit monmouth.edu.
About the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music
The Bruce Springsteen Archives serves as the official repository for Bruce Springsteen’s songs and other written works, plus photographs, periodicals, oral histories, recordings, films, and artifacts related to Springsteen and the E Street Band. The Center for American Music produces museum exhibitions, seminars and educational workshops, concerts, and various other public programs to promote and celebrate the many forms of American music and its impact on our culture and national identity. For more information, please visit springsteenarchives.org.
