When Wayne Law alumnus and tax law professional John Grant, J.D. ’79 was searching for a way to honor the impact Professor Alan Schenk had on his life and career, he came across the idea to develop a fundraising campaign in the name of Professor Schenk, who has taught taxation at Wayne Law for nearly 60 years.

“Professor Schenk’s teaching on the importance of tax consequences on transactional planning inspired my career,” said Grant.

John Collins, J.D. ’76 and Joe Angileri, J.D. ’84 joined Grant in the self-driven fundraising effort, and the trio found many more alumni have the same sentiment toward Professor Schenk and were eager to participate. Grant, Collins and Angileri met routinely over two and a half years to coordinate, contact former classmates, and lead the fund development project with a goal of $1.5 million to create the Alan S. Schenk Endowed Chair in Taxation.

Endowed chairs enable Wayne Law to attract and retain the best faculty in the field, who in turn boost Wayne Law’s academic reputation through their scholarship. An endowed chair is permanent, and it will honor Professor Schenk’s contributions to legal education and tax law, forever.

“Professor Schenk is an esteemed and distinguished faculty member,” said Richard Bierschbach, dean of Wayne Law. “We are grateful for the affinity our alumni have to Wayne Law and their admiration of Professor Alan Schenk, which led to this substantial gift.”

Schenk is highly regarded in the legal community and has advised several governments on the implications of proposed tax policies. Despite having shared his insights at many prestigious institutions, Schenk has chosen to remain at Wayne Law. He is known to be tough but fair, and fun. In his many years of teaching, he continues to bring fresh cases and fresh material to keep his students engaged and his classes exciting.

“I know his current students are just as enthusiastic to learn from him today as his students were 50 years ago. He is well-respected and adored here,” said Bierschbach.

Wayne Law Senior Director of Philanthropy Rob MacGregor was impressed by the support for the project. “I am extremely proud of our alumni coming together for this purpose — to raise funds for the future of Wayne Law and acknowledge what just one beloved professor has done for them. Soliciting gifts from former classmates and fellow alumni shows the power of peers and the value of connectedness Wayne Law provides to our students and graduates.”