Michael I. Sovern facts for kids

Michael Ira Sovern (born December 1, 1931 – died January 20, 2020) was the 17th president of Columbia University. Before he passed away, he was a special professor of law at Columbia Law School. He was known as an expert in Labor Law and in fairness regarding jobs.

Michael Sovern's Life Story

Michael Sovern was born in the Bronx, New York. His father was in the dress business, and his mother was a bookkeeper. He was a very good student. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1949.

He then went to Columbia College in New York City, graduating in 1953. He also graduated from Columbia Law School in 1955. He earned a special award for having the best grades in his class. Right after law school, he started teaching at the University of Minnesota Law School. He taught there until 1957.

In 1957, he came back to Columbia as a visiting professor. He soon joined the permanent teaching staff. In 1960, he became the youngest full professor in Columbia University's history. He helped solve disagreements for New York City. This included talks between transit workers and the city. He also helped with police and firefighter disputes.

From 1962 to 1966, he led research on laws about fairness in jobs. He was also a legal advisor for Time magazine for fifteen years. He worked for Governor Brendan Thomas Byrne of New Jersey from 1974 to 1977. He also led several important commissions. These included groups looking at court costs and changes to the New York City Charter.

During student protests at Columbia in 1968, he helped calm things down. He led a faculty committee that worked to ease tensions. In 1970, he became the Dean of the Law School. Then, in 1979, he was named the Executive Vice President and Provost. This meant he was in charge of many academic areas.

In 1980, Michael Sovern became the President of Columbia University. During his time as president, he made big improvements. He greatly increased the university's money, called its endowment. He also brought many famous professors to Columbia. A very important change was opening Columbia College, the main undergraduate school, to women students. He also made the university's finances much stronger. He balanced the budget and added strict spending rules. He stepped down as president in 1993. After that, he went back to teaching at Columbia Law School.

He received special honorary degrees from several universities. These included Tel Aviv University, the University of Southern California, and Columbia itself. A special teaching position at Columbia Law School is named after him. Also, the American Academy in Rome has a scholarship in his honor.

Helping Others and Serving the Community

Outside of his work in law and at the university, Michael Sovern was very active. He was the president of the Shubert Foundation. He also served on the boards of many important groups. These included Comcast Communications and the Shubert Organization. He was also on the boards of the Asian Cultural Council and Atlantic Philanthropies.

He was the chairman of Sotheby's Holdings, Inc. from 2000 to 2012. He also led the American Academy in Rome from 1994 to 2005. He was chairman of the Japan Society from 1993 to 2005. He also advised the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center.

He was a member of the board for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He also served on boards for the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Pulitzer Prizes. He was involved with major companies like AT&T, Pfizer, and JP Morgan Chase.

He was also a member of many professional groups. These included the American Bar Association and the Council on Foreign Relations. He was also a founding member of several legal defense funds. These helped Mexican-American and Puerto Rican communities. He also helped start Helsinki Watch and AMFAR, which is a group for AIDS research.

Michael Sovern's Family Life

Michael Sovern was married and had four children. He had two daughters, Elizabeth and Julie. He also had two sons, Jeff and Douglas.

His son, Jeff Sovern, is a law professor at St. John's University. He also went to Columbia University and Columbia Law School. His other son, Doug Sovern, was an award-winning news reporter. He worked for KCBS Radio in San Francisco. Doug also played bass in a blues band.

Elizabeth Sovern teaches middle school in New York. She is a graduate of Barnard College. Julie Sovern is a lawyer. She worked for Wells Fargo & Company. She also graduated from Columbia Law School. Michael Sovern passed away on January 20, 2020, at the age of 88.

Awards and Recognitions

Michael Sovern received many awards and honors. The government of Italy gave him the Commendatore Order of Merit. Japan honored him with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star.

In 1993, he received the Alexander Hamilton medal from Columbia College. That same year, he won the Citizens Union Civil Leadership Award. He also received the Town Hall Friend of the Arts Award.

• Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, 2003 (Japan).

Books Michael Sovern Wrote

• Legal Restraints on Racial Discrimination in Employment (1966)
• Cases and Materials on Law and Poverty (1969)
• Of Boundless Domains (1994)
• An Improbable Life: My Sixty Years at Columbia and Other Adventures (2014)