Longtime USF benefactors Frank and Carol Morsani give another $7M

The University of South Florida on Tuesday announced a $7 million donation from longtime local philanthropists Frank and Carol Morsani.

The gift will be used to create scholarships for students, an endowed chair position in geriatrics and a director and professor position for “ethical leadership” in business.

The Morsanis have donated to USF since the 1970s, giving to the school’s athletics programs in its early days. They’ve since donated to the College of Medicine, which bears their name, the College of Public Health, the Honors College, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business Administration, the university’s public broadcasting operations, and earlier this year a $5 million gift for a proposed on-campus football stadium.

Frank Morsani, the retired chairman of Automotive Investments Inc. and once chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said in a USF news release that growing up during the Great Depression left a lasting impact on the couple.

“It’s very difficult for a lot of students to participate and live the American dream,” he said. “Change is the only constant we have. It’s through education, we can move and handle that change. We could think of no greater way to return the benefits we have earned over our lifetimes than to empower young people through education.”