In a surprise announcement during NYU Langone Health’s annual Violet Ball, Elaine Langone and her husband, Kenneth G. Langone, chair of the board of trustees of NYU Langone Health, informed the attendees that NYU School of Medicine will be renamed NYU Robert I. Grossman School of Medicine in honor of the current dean of the school.

“In recognition of the superb leadership he has given the institution and for the high standards of quality patient care we teach and are known for, NYU School of Medicine will be renamed in Dr. Robert Grossman’s honor as NYU Robert I. Grossman School of Medicine,” said Elaine Langone, addressing more than 500 guests in attendance with this unique distinction for the sitting dean of an institution.

“None of the milestones NYU Langone has achieved would have been possible without the boldness, resiliency, and the passion for patient care and quality that Bob Grossman brings to this institution,” said Mr. Langone. “He always strives to elevate the quality of what we do. He brings out the best in people and he’s brought out the best in this institution. I am so proud to partner with him and we’re honored to rename NYU School of Medicine on his behalf.”

During his more than decade-long tenure, Robert I. Grossman, MD, dean of NYU School of Medicine and CEO of NYU Langone Health, has redefined firsts and continued to pioneer medical education. He has been the principal architect of many historic initiatives in healthcare, including the recent decision to provide tuition-free medical education for all current and future students in its MD degree program. He also curated a new approach to medical education, called Curriculum for the 21st Century, which emphasizes clinical training from the beginning of medical school and includes a revolutionary three-year MD program for select candidates.

Most recently, Dr. Grossman was the driving force behind the creation of NYU Long Island School of Medicine—a partnership between NYU and NYU Langone Health—offering full-tuition scholarships with an accelerated three-year curriculum exclusively devoted to training primary care physicians.

Honoring the Langones’ 20-Year Commitment

Ken and Elaine Langone were also honored at the 2019 Violet Ball for their 20-year commitment to NYU Langone and Mr. Langone’s twentieth anniversary as chairman of the board. The annual Violet Ball raised more than $150 million to complete the institution’s 12-year, historic $3 billion fundraising campaign. The event was held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue in New York City on the evening of November 4. Proceeds from the Violet Ball support full-tuition scholarships at NYU School of Medicine as well as graduate biomedical research education. These philanthropic funds are critical to advancing NYU Langone’s bold vision as a top-rated institution for patient care, education, and scientific discovery, while reducing the financial burden of debt for students.

Over the past two decades, the Langones have given historic gifts to the institution. With those gifts, they also received the right to name NYU School of Medicine, an option they deferred until their announcement at the Violet Ball.

Larry Fink, co-chair of the board of trustees of NYU Langone, kicked off the program, which included a tribute to Mr. Langone. “What Ken has built with Bob Grossman is one of the great business stories, one of the great medical stories, and one of the great human and organizational stories,” said Suzy Welch, a longtime supporter of NYU Langone. “The difference between when Ken talks about quality, versus when other business leaders talk about quality, is that Ken understands that quality is about people.”

Event Chairs, Co-Chairs, and Guests of Note

Fiona and Stanley Druckenmiller, and Lori and Larry Fink served as event co-chairs.

In addition to the co-chairs in attendance, guests included Lee Ainslie; Anne and Art Benvenuto; John Freeman and Scott Bessent; Robert Bishop; Liz Blake, Esq. and Frank Blake; Diana Taylor and Michael Bloomberg; Dana Blumberg, MD; Nancy and Larry Bossidy; Ellen and Alan Breed; Phyllis and Sid Bresler; Patricia and John Chadwick; Harriet Brahms and Tzili Charney; Steven Cohen, Esq.; Gary Cohn; Stephanie and Chase Coleman; Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan; Gail Drukier, EdD and Ira Drukier, PhD; Israel Englander; Vicki and Gary Erlbaum; Jeff Feig; Sarah and David Fiszel; Marian Pardo and Carl Frischling, Esq.; Laura and Dan Gold; Nicki and Ira Harris; Coleen and Ed Herlihy; Louis Jacobs, Jr.; Joanna and Jon Jacobson; Alyse Levin and Mark Jacobson; Ellen and Robert Kapito; Jill and Harry Kargman; Erica and Michael Karsch; Nancy and Henry Kissinger, PhD; Dorothy and Sidney Kohl; Wendy and Steven Langman; Betty and John Levin; Adrienne and Daniel Lufkin; Sondra and David Mack; Susan and Morris Mark; Carl Martignetti; Marianne Mebane; Wendy and David Novak; Betsy and Samuel Reeves; Lyanne and Michael Saperstein; Susan and Stewart Satter; Dana and Richard Scharf; Lori and Zachary Schreiber; Jill and Ron Sedley; Cindy and John Sites; Allison and Leonard Stern; Penny and Tom Teague; Lisa and Peter Thoren; Teri and Barry Volpert; Jane and David Walentas; Suzy and Jack Welch; and Ann and Gordon Woodward.

Media Inquiries

Allison Clair
Phone: 212-404-3753
allison.clair@nyulangone.org

Kate Malenczak
Phone: 646-754-7367
kate.malenczak@nyulangone.org