Annenberg Foundation Gives School $20 Million

Northwestern University has been awarded grants totaling more than $20 million from a foundation established by former Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg, university President Arnold R. Weber said Tuesday.

Weber said the grants from the St. Davids, Pa.-based Annenberg Foundation include more than $15 million in support of the Annenberg Washington Program in Communication Policy Studies of Northwestern University, based in Washington, D.C., through June 30, 1996, and $5 million for unrestricted purposes.

The Annenberg Washington Program, established by Annenberg in 1983, has been affiliated with the university since 1987.

The program assesses the impact of communications technologies and current public policies on aspects of American life, including education, medicine, law, politics, foreign policy and financial markets.

Weber said that $1.5 million of the $5-million unrestricted foundation commitment will be used to establish the Annenberg Professorship at Northwestern University and the remaining $3.5 million will be designated for use at a later date.

He said the first Annenberg Professor will be Newton N. Minow, a former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission in the John F. Kennedy Administration and now professor of communications law and policy at Northwestern University.

Minow has directed the activities of The Annenberg Washington Program since its affiliation with Northwestern University began more than two years ago.