Awards

Honorary Degree - 1992

LL.D.

Doctor of Laws

Commencement

Indianapolis, Indiana

Presenter: Thomas Ehrlich

About Henry A. Rosso

Henry A. Rosso, Special Assistant to the Director of the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, is a leader in establishing philanthropic fund raising as a profession with a philosophy and a body of knowledge. He has been at the forefront in enhancing the effectiveness and the social consciousness of fund raisers across the country, and his guidance has contributed significantly to the values, principles, and ethical standards of fund raising.

As a founder of the Fund raising School, Mr. Rosso pioneered the idea that the effectiveness of professional fun raising requires a systematic approach. As a result of his work and the courses he has designed, many charitable organizations have been able to develop more effective practices and improve the stewardship of their financial resources. It was Mr. Rosso who suggested to Indiana University the organization of the Center on Philanthropy.

Mr. Rosso was born in Princeton, New Jersey. After service in the US Army Airborne Division during World War II, he received the BA from Syracuse University in 1949. He was Director of Development and Public Relations at The Manlius School and an executive with G.A. Brakely & Co., Inc., before founding the Fund Raising School in 1973. He continues as director emeritus of the school, which is now a program of the IU Center on Philanthropy.

Mr. Rosso has served as President of the Development Executives Roundtable of San Francisco. He received the Outstanding Fund Raising Executive of the Year Award from National Society of Fund Raising Executives in 1985, and in 1987 was awarded the honorary Doctor of Laws by Pacific Union College.