Major Donor Found Guilty of Price Fixing

After philanthropist A. Alfred Taubman was convicted Wednesday of what has been described as one of the greatest art scandals this century, officials at the Kennedy School of Government stressed that his case will not have a major effect on the school’s Taubman Center for State and Local Government.

Taubman, who gave $15 million in 1988 to found the center, has played a very small role in its activities since then.

“Taubman has never really taken any specific interest in us,” said Alan Altshuler, director of the Taubman Center.

Despite the fact that Taubman currently serves as the chair of the advisory committee, the committee’s annual meetings are often held in New York—and not at Harvard itself—to accommodate his schedule.

“It is my guess that in the 13 years the center has existed, if Taubman has been here four or five times, that is a lot,”Altshuler said.

Taubman, the former chair of Sotheby’s auction house, was found guilty of price-fixing, along with the head of Christie’s auction house, Anthony Tennant, after the jury deliberated for a total of nine hours over the course of two days.

Taubman now faces up to three years in prison.

The charges date back to the early 1990s, several years after he made his donation to Harvard.

Taubman’s attorney, Robert Fiske, told CNN that, “We are very disappointed in the verdict, but we’re going to review our options and decide what to do next.”

The options for Harvard officials, however, may be more limited.

Andrew K. Tiedemann, spokesperson for the University development office, recently said there have never been any efforts to rename a building at Harvard.

“A case like this is unprecedented... and legally [the center] may not have many options,” Tiedemann said.

Altshuler declined to comment on what the University’s actions should be.

“It is my intention to be as welcoming to Taubman as my superiors at Harvard see as appropriate,” he said. “Taubman has always acted with total integrity around me and has never done anything improper.”

Brown University—to which Taubman gave $3.2 million to endow the Taubman Center for Public Policy in 1983—issued a statement praising Taubman’s philanthropy.

“Brown University recognizes Mr. Taubman’s gift as an enlightened, farsighted, public-spirited commitment to enhance the University’s academic program in the social sciences,” the statement read.

Taubman, whose net worth is estimated at $860 million, recently announced his plan to donate $30 million to the University of Michigan, his alma mater, where the College of Architecture and Urban Planning will be named after him. The health care center and medical library at the University of Michigan already bear his name.

“Taubman represents the best of American philanthropy that we at Harvard often have the chance to experience,” Altshuler said.

Kennedy School spokesperson Jesus Mena added, “Harvard entered into a good-natured agreement with Taubman, and it is our understanding that the legal process has not yet run its course.”