Shareholder Activist Evelyn Davis Creates Fund at Yale Center for Corporate Governance

New Haven, Conn. — President Richard C. Levin announced that Yale has received a $100,000 gift from Mrs. Evelyn Y. Davis and the Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation.

The gift will be used to establish the Evelyn Y. Davis Fund at the Yale School of Management (SOM) in support of the programs and activities of the Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance.

A publisher, author, philanthropist and shareholder activist, Davis has lectured on corporate governance issues at universities around the country. She has appeared on numerous national television shows and has been featured in newspapers and magazines. She is the author and founder of Highlights and Lowlights, a nationally known newsletter that covers corporate governance, executive compensation and shareholder rights, among other topics.

Davis began making investments with securities inherited from her father, and she is now a shareholder in over 80 corporations. She has attended shareholder meetings since 1960.

Born in Amsterdam, Davis immigrated to the United States after World War II. She studied business administration at George Washington University and currently resides in Washington, D.C.

Founded in 1989, the Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation makes grants to nationally prominent universities, arts organizations and hospitals.

The Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance was named in honor of Ira M. Millstein, a principal architect of modern international corporate governance and Yale SOM faculty member. The center serves as a leading global resource for testing, challenging and advancing the premise that corporations should and can serve society. It pursues this mission through an interdisciplinary approach, convening the top academics from fields such as economics, law, and politics, experienced practitioners, and leaders in business, investment, and public policy.

In recognition of Davis’ gift to Yale, the University has installed a plaque on a prominent wall in the Hall of Mirrors at SOM.

“It is an honor to have Mrs. Davis associated with the Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance, given her renown in the area of high standards for corporate governance,” Levin said. “We are simply delighted by her interest in Yale and grateful for her support.”