College's Namesake

Michael E. Moritz '61

The Moritz College of Law was named for Michael E. Moritz '61 in 2001 in recognition of his gift of $30 million to the school. It was the single largest gift to Ohio State in the history of the university.

Moritz's law school gift created a scholarship fund, which offers full tuition and a stipend for 30 Ohio State law students; finances leadership awards to three students each year; and established four endowed faculty chairs. The gift also established the Gregory H. Williams Dean's Fund for Excellence, named for the college's former dean.

Moritz died March 5, 2002 of complications following a car accident on February 23 in Naples, Fla. He was 68.

The Columbus attorney was a partner in the Columbus law firm of Baker and Hostetler and a former director of Cardinal Health Inc. He was a dual Ohio State graduate, earning a B.S. in business administration in 1958 and a law degree in 1961, graduating at the top of his class. He also was a 1951 graduate of Columbus North High School.

In addition to Cardinal Health, he was a director for Pharmacy Systems Inc., and the Pickett Hotel Co. He was a past president of the Capital City Young Republicans Club, trustee of the Kenyon Festival Theatre, and commissioner of the Ohio Elections Commission.

At Ohio State, he served as a director of The Ohio State University Foundation since 1990 and, since 1994, on the Campaign Committee of the Max M. Fisher College of Business, where he established the Moritz Family Scholarship Fund. He was a member of St. Brigid of Kildare Parish in Dublin, and had served as chairman of its fund-raising campaign to build a parish educational center.

He and his wife, Lou Ann, had four children: Cathy (Dave) Presper of Columbus; Jeff (Pam) Moritz of Lakewood, Ohio; Molly (Doug) Tyger of Mason, Ohio; and Ann (Philip) Airey of Winnetka, Ill; and eleven grandchildren.