Michael Jordan's Agent Falk to Donate $15 Million to

By Oliver Staley, Bloomberg, Mar 24, 2011

David Falk, the who represents , and his wife, Rhonda Falk, have pledged $15 million to Syracuse University to fund programs in sports management and public health.

Syracuse will rename its College of Human Ecology the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics and unify its programs at a new location, said the university, in Syracuse, , in a statement released today.

Falk is a Syracuse trustee who graduated in 1972, according to the statement. He represented former National Association players and , as well as Jordan, a five-time winner of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award. Jordan’s endorsement contract with Nike Inc. (NKE), based in Beaverton, Oregon, was negotiated by Falk. Falk’s gift will help elevate the reputation of the college, said Diane Lyden Murphy, currently dean of the College of Human Ecology.

"It raises what we’ve been doing and known for regionally to a national standing," Murphy said in a phone interview. "What’s important is that a person of this notoriety and fame has decided to put their name, their legacy and their wealth into this college. We feel very privileged."

The Falks donated $5 million to create the David B. Falk for Sport Management in 2008, and the following year they endowed a faculty position.

Syracuse, a private university, was founded in 1870 and has about 20,400 students. Graduates include Joyce Carol Oates, the author; Jim Brown, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; and Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, a billionaire who received a master’s degree from Syracuse.

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