When Ruth Gottesman’s husband, Wall Street investor David “Sandy” Gottesman, passed away, he left her a fortune and one simple instruction: “Do whatever you think is right with it.” At 93, Ruth knew exactly what she wanted to do. She chose to donate $1 billion to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. ❤️
Ruth wasn’t a stranger to the school. A former pediatrics professor, she had spent decades there researching childhood learning disabilities and helping develop literacy programs. Her extraordinary gift now creates an endowment designed to make medical school tuition free for current and future students. 🎓✨
For students facing tuition of around $60,000 a year and potentially more than $200,000 in debt, the impact is enormous. Instead of choosing higher-paying specialties simply to repay loans, future doctors can pursue the careers and communities they truly care about—including underserved patients in the Bronx. 🩺❤️
And perhaps the most beautiful part? Ruth’s gift could continue helping students forever. Interest from the endowment is intended to sustain the program for generations. One woman was given the freedom to decide what to do with a fortune—and she chose to give thousands of young people the freedom to dream bigger. 🥹💙