Welters '77, new chair of the Law School's Board of Trustees, talks to the New York Law Journal

Welters '77, new chair of the Law School's Board of Trustees, talks to the New York Law Journal

Anthony Welters '77, the new chair of the Law School's Board of Trustees, spoke to the New York Law Journal about his struggles growing up, business success, and philanthropy.

Welters, who was raised in a one-room Harlem apartment with three siblings, went on to found a multi-billion dollar health maintenance organization and has given tens of millions of dollars of his own money in gifts and scholarships to his alma mater.

Ten years ago, he and his wife, Beatrice, created the AnBryce Scholarship Program at the Law School to support outstanding J.D. students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who are the first in their families to pursue a graduate degree and to prepare them for leadership positions.

"If you can say you helped give someone an opportunity, that's what it's all about," Welters said. "Even if someone fails to live up to your expectations. If they succeed, though, they bring a whole generation forward."

Welters led his first meeting as the new chair of the Board of Trustees on Oct. 3. He succeeded Lester Pollack '57, who stepped down after 10 years to become chair emeritus.

Read the interview in the New York Law Journal