When students pass by the Frost School of Music, visit the Lowe Art Museum or hear about accolades at the Miller School of Medicine, they’re walking through the legacy of three families whose names have become synonymous with the University of Miami.
Behind these buildings are stories of generosity that have defined the U and shaped its commitment to music, art and medicine.
The music school was one of the two schools that opened with the University of Miami in 1926. However, it was not until 2003 that Phillip and Patricia Frost donated $33 million to the School of Music. This was the largest gift ever given at the time to a university-affiliated music school across the country.
“We have always felt that music is one of the elements in the culture of our society that moves people to do great things, and it’s one of the arts which has always deserved a lot more support than it has received,” Frost said in a statement to the Sun Sentinel in 2021.
The Frost family also established the Abraham Frost Endowment, which funds the commissioning of new works every two years, further strengthening the school’s dedication to the creation, performance and recording of original music.
In 1951, Joe and Emily Lowe underwrote the funding for the creation of the art museum at the University of Miami. Their donation of $100 million led to the official opening of the Lowe Art Gallery on Feb. 4, 1952. The Lowe family also helped acquire collections of non-Western Art, including pieces from Asia, Ancient America and Africa.
The building? site? was renamed the Lowe Art Museum in 1968 and became the first museum in Miami-Dade County to receive professional accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 1972. The museum was recognized by the State of Florida as a major cultural institution in 1985 and has continued to expand throughout the years as a beautiful place for the university community to come and visit.
One of the most generous donors to the University of Miami is the Miller family. Over the years, the Miller family has donated over $221 million to the school. As the Miller family’s primary goal was to enrich the medical program, the name is now recognized alongside the accomplishments of the medical school.
The school was renamed to the Miller School of Medicine in recognition of the 100 million dollars that the family of Leonard M. Miller donated to the school in 2004. Miller, former president and CEO of Lennar Corporation, made the donation with the intention of supporting innovative medical research, improving patient care and training future generations of physicians.
“Our family couldn’t be prouder of our commitment to the university,’’ Stuart Miller said in a written statement to the Miami Herald in 2015.
This massive donation supported innovative research in fields including cancer, diabetes and neurology. It also allowed for expanded staff and student assistance and overall improvements in the school’s facilities.
The Miller family also supports the medical school with initiatives and scholarships that help the school strengthen its reputation for being one of the top institutions for medicine.
“We felt our gift was a significant way to continue the advancement of the UM Medical School enterprise that is such an important segment of our community and to honor president Shalala’s many contributions to the university and our community,” Miller said.