"A former Brown wrestler and his wife made a $1M gift to create a new endowment for the program," Beckerman wrote. While he did not identify the donor couple by name, Beckerman revealed the name the couple selected for their gift -- the Marvin L. Wilenzik '56 Head Coaching Chair for Brown Wrestling -- which is designated to provide funds to sustain the head coaching position for the school's NCAA Division I wrestling program.
"This is an amazing gesture, but it is even more powerful because they have also decided to name the endowment in honor of Marvin Wilenzik, Brown Class of '56," Beckerman added. "Marv's influence and reach spans decades of Brown wrestlers, and there is no better person to receive this recognition than Marvin. In the coming weeks and months, we will share more information about Marvin and this endowment."
"This is just the beginning," Beckerman continued. "Our hope is to grow this endowment to $2 million which will truly have a lasting impact. Just in the few weeks since the gift was revealed, a number of alumni and friends have already contacted me about adding to the endowment."
The Brown wrestling endowment is the latest in similar gifts from generous alumni to sustain Division I wrestling programs. Early this summer, wrestling announcer and WIN Magazine columnist Sandy Stevens established the Bear and Sandy Stevens Head Wrestling Coach Endowment for her alma mater, University of Northern Iowa, with funds designated to support the salary of the Panthers wrestling coach position. (Her late husband Bob -- also known as Bear -- wrestled for legendary coach Bill Koll at the school in the early 1960s.) In September 2014, David Lehman, a former wrestler at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., provided a $5 million gift to fully endow his alma mater's mat program.
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