On May 9, Anthony Welters ’77, chair emeritus of NYU Law’s Board of Trustees, was the guest of honor for a ceremony celebrating the unveiling of his portrait by artist Jamie Lee McMahan and the naming of what will now be known as the Welters Lobby, located at the front entrance of Vanderbilt Hall.
“He’s a man of tremendous wisdom, he’s a man of tremendous humility, and he’s a man of tremendous vision,” said Dean Trevor Morrison of Welters. The executive chairman of the BlackIvy Group, Welters and his wife, Beatrice Welters, established the AnBryce Scholarship Program, offering full scholarships along with mentorship and support for first-generation professional-degree students who have shown leadership in challenging economic and social circumstances.
Morrison, NYU President Andrew Hamilton, former NYU president and former law school dean John Sexton, and former law school dean Richard Revesz told stories of Welters’ philanthropy and leadership. Welters currently serves as vice chair of NYU’s Board of Trustees and as a trustee of the NYU Langone Medical Center. Welters has also served on the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and as a founding member of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Sexton described Anthony and Beatrice Welters as “leading citizens” on a national and international scale.
“We know well his AnBryce Scholarship Program here at the Law School, but Tony over many years has been an immense supporter of the Langone Medical School, he’s been a huge supporter of the faculty of arts and science, “ said Hamilton. “His impact is felt throughout the university.”
Revesz credited the success of the AnBryce Program to the personal investment of the Welters family. “Tony is both an exceptional leader and an extraordinary visionary, which are two traits that don’t often get combined in a single person,” he said.
In reflective tones, Welters spoke about his partnership with Beatrice in supporting the AnBryce Program. He described how the program’s scholars function as a tight-knit community who have supported each other and their networks during both joyous times and times of sickness and loss.
Describing what motivates his philanthropy, Welters cited some advice from Senator Jacob Javits, for whom he worked as an executive assistant early in his career. “‘Tony, remember this,’” Welters recalled Javits saying in his final days. “’At the end of life, you do not want to discuss your accomplishments. What you talk about, what you think about, are good friends, good times, and family. If you remember that throughout your life, at the end of your life you will have a calmness different than anyone else’…I’ve tried to live my life based upon those principles.”
Posted May 24, 2019