Law School Philanthropist Passes Away

Finn M.W. Caspersen, a graduate of Harvard Law School and a prolific philanthropist who raised and donated huge sums to the Law School, died last week of an apparently self-inflicted gun-shot wound.

Caspersen, the former Chairman of the Beneficial Corporation, a consumer finance corporation, donated over $30 million to the Law School and served as the chairman of the successful capital campaign which ended last year and raised $476 million, the most successful fund-raising campaign in the history of legal education.

Caspersen’s death comes at a time when his fund-raising abilities may have been most needed for the Law School when academic institutions around the country are facing challenges in raising funds.

Law School Professor Charles Fried, who holds an endowed professorship, lamented Caspersen’s passing in an e-mail statement to The Crimson and said he “appreciated his warm and engaged generosity to Harvard Law School and its work.”

Even after his death, Caspersen’s presence will continue to be felt in the North Yard.

Two endowed professorships in Caspersen’s and his corporation’s name remain. The Northwest Corner Building, an ambitious building project which he helped fund, will contain a wing named after him. In addition, the room in Langdell Library that contains the School’s rare book and art collection bears his name.

“Finn Caspersen once said that Harvard Law School challenged him to think, and he in turn became an extraordinary friend and supporter of the school and its mission,” Dean of the Law School Martha Minow said in a statement posted on the Law School’s Web site.

Caspersen’s philanthropic activity extended well beyond Cambridge: he also donated to institutions such as the New Jersey prep school he attended, an equestrian center, and a rowing center.

Though Caspersen came from a privileged background—taking over the helm of Beneficial from his father—his later life was marked by his philanthropic efforts, which he likened to a “second-career” upon his retirement, according to media reports.

Caspersen passed away near his home in Rhode Island and is survived by his wife, Barbara, and four sons. He was 67.

—Staff writer Elias J. Groll can be reached at egroll@fas.harvard.edu.