Carnegie Corporation of New York and the entire family of Carnegie institutions in the United States and Europe mourn the death of H. F. “Gerry” Lenfest, a recipient of the 2017 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy. We extend our condolences to his wife, Marguerite, and to the rest of the Lenfest family. Mr. Lenfest was a visionary philanthropist, an esteemed citizen of Philadelphia, and an ardent defender of American journalism and of the people’s voice in his home state of Pennsylvania. Gerry Lenfest worked diligently to preserve and to guarantee the independence of the newspapers of Philadelphia. Today the Lenfest Institute for Journalism is the largest public-benefit news organization in the U.S., committed to protecting the integrity of journalism in the region and fostering its evolution to a digital format.

Vartan Gregorian, President
Janet L. Robinson, Chair, Board of Trustees
Carnegie Corporation of New York

 

Learn more about H. F. “Gerry” Lenfest and the Lenfest Institute.