Chuck Feeney, Cornell’s ‘Third Founder,’ Dies at 92
October 9, 2023
Charles F. “Chuck” Feeney ’56, the founding chairman of The Atlantic Philanthropies and one of Cornell University’s most generous donors, died on October 9 in San Francisco. He was 92 years old.
Feeney, who quietly dedicated his fortune to global causes for many years, invested nearly $1 billion in Cornell through his foundation, starting in 1982. The late President Frank H.T. Rhodes referred to him as Cornell’s “third founder,” surpassed in influence only by Ezra Cornell and the university’s first president, Andrew Dickson White.
From a young age, his entrepreneurial spirit was clear. Even when he was a student at Cornell, he created a sandwich business that was very successful.
For more than two decades, Feeney’s giving through The Atlantic Philanthropies was completely anonymous. Neither his name nor Atlantic’s appeared on any university building, professorship, or program.
In 2021, Cornell renamed East Avenue on its Ithaca campus “Feeney Way” to honor his 90th birthday, recognizing his impact on the university and as an inspiration to future generations. A second “Feeney Way” will be named on a central thoroughfare on the Cornell Tech campus in New York City. “Chuck Feeney, in his life and in his lasting legacy, set an inspirational standard of what it means to be a Cornellian,” said President Martha E. Pollack.
“His life’s mission of consequential philanthropy, the breathtaking impact of his giving to his alma mater, and the way his quiet example has motivated so many others, has been immeasurably transformative to Cornell and to Cornellians. I am heartened by the fact that Chuck – who famously never sought recognition for his generosity – had recently granted Cornell’s wish to express our appreciation for him and celebrate his impact and vision by naming main thoroughfares on our Ithaca and Cornell Tech campuses in his honor,” Pollack said.
Feeney’s Legacy
The story of Feeney’s legacy and The Atlantic Philanthropies’ impact on Cornell is vast. Key contributions from the foundation include:
- A grant of $350 million in 2011 (initially anonymous) that funded much of the construction and program development for the first phase of the Cornell Tech campus, while also creating a generous permanent endowment.
- The creation of the Cornell Tradition, which awards fellowships to outstanding Cornell undergraduates who demonstrate a commitment to scholarship, work, and service.
- Support that touched nearly every aspect of Cornell, from undergraduate residential life to increased access to financial aid and revitalization of various academic fields.
Beyond Cornell, Feeney and The Atlantic Philanthropies gave $7 billion over three decades, significantly supporting global education, health, research, innovation, human rights, and peacemaking efforts.
“Chuck was as passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of others as he was about being successful at business,” said Christopher G. Oechsli, president and CEO of Atlantic and a longtime advisor to Feeney.
“He cared more about being effective at what he did than about amassing wealth or collecting awards,” said Kraig Kayser, MBA ’84, chair of the Cornell Board of Trustees. “His philanthropic support across many campus priorities – including the founding gift for Cornell Tech – will be felt for generations. He traced his visionary commitment to ‘giving while living’ to Cornell’s ‘… any person … any study’ principles, and just as Cornell’s ethos was foundational to Chuck, he became foundational to Cornell. The entire community sends its condolences to his family, as he will be missed.”
Early Years and The Atlantic Philanthropies
Charles Francis Feeney was born on April 23, 1931, to an Irish-American immigrant family in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He attended Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, starting in 1952, with the help of the G.I. Bill. Graduating from Cornell in 1956, he went on to study political science at the University of Grenoble in France and started a summer camp for the children of American military personnel. In 1960, he co-founded Duty Free Shoppers, which became the largest seller of luxury goods globally.
In 1984, Feeney secretly gave away most of his fortune by transferring the majority of his stake in Duty Free Shoppers to establish The Atlantic Philanthropies, reducing his own wealth to less than $5 million.
Feeney focused on several key areas through Atlantic: aging; children and youth; population health; and reconciliation and human rights. He insisted on anonymity for the foundation’s donations, partly due to modesty and partly to encourage others to give. The Atlantic Philanthropies concentrated its grant-making in specific sectors across seven countries.
Based partially on his belief that people should use their wealth to make a positive difference while alive, Feeney limited the lifespan of The Atlantic Philanthropies. In 2002, he committed to spending down the foundation’s endowment completely, with 2016 as its final year of grant-making. He said he was proud to have accomplished this goal during his lifetime.
Atlantic and Cornell
The Atlantic Philanthropies’ first investment in Cornell was in 1982, an anonymous grant of $7 million to establish The Cornell Tradition, an undergraduate fellowship program combining work, service, and scholarship.
The foundation gave nearly $41 million to The Cornell Tradition over time, supporting over 6,000 students. The Atlantic Philanthropies’ final official grant in 2016 was also $7 million for The Cornell Tradition, creating core endowments for operations and students with financial need who wish to pursue international service experiences. Both endowments were named for Rhodes to honor his long connection with The Atlantic Philanthropies.
Between those first and final grants, The Atlantic Philanthropies nurtured a three-decade partnership with the university, supporting scholarship and constructing several buildings on campus.
Recognition and Inspiration
Feeney was known for being modest, flying coach, and not owning a home or tuxedo. In 1997, the sale of Duty Free Shoppers made Feeney known as the philanthropist behind The Atlantic Philanthropies. In 2011, Feeney became a signatory of the Giving Pledge. In 2014, he received the Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy. The thoroughfare formerly known as East Avenue was renamed “Feeney Way” in 2021.
In 2020, when the university announced it would rename East Avenue in his honor, he said he was humbled. “Cornell’s culture of affording any person an opportunity for study in any area of interest informed my commitment to ‘give while living’ – to use wealth to create opportunities for others, especially for those who have not historically had those opportunities,” Feeney explained.
Feeney is survived by his wife, Helga; five children; 16 grandchildren; and four nieces and nephews.
Memorial gifts may be made to a charitable organization of choice or The Cornell Tradition at Cornell University, 300 Kennedy Hall, Ithaca, N.Y.
