terrorism was Afghanistan's biggest enemy" but said that now "poppy, its
cultivation and drugs are Afghanistan's major enemy."
Princeton asked to return donation
<http://www.washingtontimes.com
*Published November 29, 2006
*
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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The family that in 1961 made one of the
biggest donations in the history of academia to Princeton University
wants its money back.
Relatives of Charles and Marie Robertson said the couple wanted
their gift to be spent solely to educate graduate students for
careers in government, especially as diplomats for the United States.
But the family now says the university has not churned out many
diplomats and large portions of the gift -- now worth more than $750
million -- have been used for other purposes. The family wants to
take the money back so it can give it to a school that will carry
out its mission.
Lawyers for the Robertson family and the university yesterday
began two days of legal arguments in state Superior Court hashing
out the parameters of a trial that is at least several months -- and
maybe years -- away. It is a lawsuit being closely watched by
charities and conservative activists.
When the late Charles and Marie Robertson anonymously donated
$35 million in 1961, they hoped to turn the graduate school at
Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International
Affairs into a finishing school for U.S. government spies and
diplomats.
The school is undeniably prestigious. After the September 11
attacks, for instance, it helped train Afghan leaders in the
workings of democracy and its impressive lineup of guest lecturers
includes U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who was scheduled to
speak yesterday.
But the number of government agents turned out by the school has
been too low for the heirs of the Robertsons. They sued in 2002,
saying the school should return more than $200 million the family
says was inappropriately used by the university. The family also
says it would use all the money in other ways to support Charles and
Marie Robertson's goals.
"Princeton takes the position that this gift was made to
Princeton University," said Seth Lapidow, a lawyer for the Robertson
family. "The plaintiffs believe Princeton was just the
instrumentality of the gift -- and the gift was to the American
public."
While the lawsuit could reverberate through the nonprofit world,
the arguments scheduled for yesterday and today are largely
technical, delving into tax laws, complicated accounting formulas
and the governance of the Princeton-controlled board that controls
the Robertson Foundation and the relationship between that
foundation and the university.
Princeton wants to be recognized as the sole beneficiary of the
gift so the money could not be granted to other institutions. The
school argues that letting the money be taken away would be a blow
not only to Princeton, but to the freedom of universities to make
their own decisions.
Even if the judge rules against the family in every issue at
this week's arguments, the case would go forward on the basis of the
fraud claims against Princeton, Mr. Lapidow said.
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai recently noted that "once we thought
terrorism was Afghanistan's biggest enemy" but said that now "poppy, its
cultivation and drugs are Afghanistan's major enemy."