Yale Daily News

Updated: Saturday, November 21, 2009 4:25 p.m.

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The $100 million couple

Staff Reporter
Published Wednesday, February 18, 2009

When a writer for Wine Spectator magazine embarked upon a three-day interview with Stephen Adams ’59 while touring through his six sprawling vineyards in Bordeaux, France, he asked Adams and his wife, Denise, if they would reveal a secret — a secret they had kept for nearly three years.

They obliged: It was in that article, “Wine by the Numbers,” that Adams announced, with great subtlety, that he was the anonymous donor who gave $100 million to the Yale School of Music in 2005.

Deemed a private person by many of his close friends and colleagues, it is fitting that Adams...

#1 By Alane Cook 12:40p.m. on February 18, 2009

I just wanted to commend the Adams Family for their genuine generosity. In these times of trouble , it seems that their faith as Christians led them to an endeavor that most people couldn't otherwise benefit. May God & St.Jude Bess them for their kindness and spirituality for their fellow man.

#2 By Recent Alum 10:26a.m. on February 19, 2009

Always ironic how most or all of Yale's largest donors are Christians, but Yale as an institution is quite the opposite.

#3 By (Anonymous) 2:28p.m. on February 19, 2009

It's not really that strange; most Yale alumni are Americans, and most Americans are Christian.

#4 By (Anonymous) 9:40p.m. on February 19, 2009

Yes. Yale IS a university full of heathens.

#5 By anonymous 11:38p.m. on February 19, 2009

funny how one is called a philanthropist? They give away millions even as they pay their employees as little as possible. This man's business's destroy families. CampingWrong/StealRoads if representative of his business prowlessness is deplorable. So one could say the money for that school of Music came on the backs of the struggling lower class American, grossly underpaid and overworked. As the bible clearly states, take from the poor and give to the rich.

#6 By anonymus 2:36a.m. on February 20, 2009

sometimes the sweat on the brows of the labourer is not payed directly to him because God has provided enough for him to remail fulfiled, his labour is not in vain, i has a greater prpse that it is going to serve someday. Comment #5 speaks of the ill treatment of the Adams employees but i guess their labour was not in vain in the long run it benefited somebody,

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