of the "Vartan Group". Vartan died on December 15, 2004, after his 15-year battle with throat cancer. He is survived by his wife, Maral, his four children, his three brothers, and his sister. Philanthropy Vartan's faith in the American legal process made him unusually responsive to suggestions that Harrisburg needed a new law school. Approached by Widener University for help in 1986 because of his dual role as a developer and the then-largest individual contributor to Penn State University, he surprised the university and other law school advocates by donating land, including his own spacious home, and cash of nearly $2 million, and by offering financial loans. After the Harrisburg campus of Widener University School of Law opened in 1989, Vartan donated the surrounding land to the campus, including an even more luxurious home that he had built to replace his first home. After the establishment of the law school, Widener University added nursing and social work programs to the campus. He was named to the PoliticsPA list of politically influential Pennsylvanians. Vartan's publicly acclaimed generosity to Widener University led to renewed requests from Penn State. He then made donations for two Harrisburg buildings, one across from the state capitol, and the other one, a few blocks away. Vartan's educational philanthropy also included the funding of a Harrisburg public school program of after-school tutoring, the results of which were praised by both parents and educators. References 1945 births 2004 deaths American people of Armenian descent American real estate businesspeople American restaurateurs American construction businesspeople People from Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Michigan Technological University alumni Pennsylvania State University alumni Businesspeople from Pennsylvania People from Beqaa Governorate 20th-century American businesspeople