Major Brandeis Donor, Wellesley College Alumna Ruth Shapiro Dies

Ruth Shapiro, one of the major benefactors of Brandeis University and graduate of Wellesley College, has died. 

Shapiro, who died on Sunday, Oct. 14, was 95, according to the university website.

Shapiro and her husband Carl made their first donation to the university in 1950 for $10 and later donated millions for several projects, according to the university. The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Admissions Center, Carl J. Shapiro Science Center and Ruth Shapiro Campus Center all bear their names. 

Both have previously served in university positisions. Ruth Shapiro, a 1937 graduate of Wellesley College served as a fellow while her husband, now 99, previously served as a trustee, according to the university. 

Despite their generosity, the couple faced allegations connected to the Ponzi scheme operated by Bernard Madoff, according to the Boston Globe. Victims of the scheme accused the Shapiros, who invested with Madoff, of profitting from the fraud, according to the Globe. The Shapiros, however, denied the allegations and said Madoff stole $545 million form them, according to the Globe. The couple later paid $625 million to settle the claims.