New York Times Notes Lulu Chow Wang ’66 in Vanguard of Asian American Giving

A recent New York Times story cited Lulu Chow Wang ’66 as being in the vanguard of a new wave of Asian American philanthropy, most notably with the $25 million gift she and her husband gave to Wellesley College in 2000. The article also prominently featured Kyung B. Yoon '78, executive director of the Korean American Community Foundation. Of the shifting emphasis to philanthropy by Asian Americans, Yoon told the Times: “We grew up with this idea that success is the more distance you can create between yourself and the pack. But it’s really about how much of the pack you can bring along.”

The Wangs’ donation was the largest ever to a women’s college, and yielded the unique and award-winning Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, which opened in September 2005.

According to the New York Times, the Wangs' philanthropy extends more quietly to other organizations, but the Wellesley donation was made publicly in order to encourage participation in the College's capital campaign. Said the Times in 2000:

The Wangs declined to be interviewed, but in a statement, Lulu Wang said, ''We are delighted to help create a building that will facilitate the creation of the strong bonds among students, faculty, colleagues and alumnae that are one of the hallmarks of Wellesley College.''

These sentiments are echoed in her remarks on "the most powerful women's network in the world," the Wellesley network, recorded in 2012. Beyond being noted by the press for generosity, Lulu Chow Wang founded Tupelo Capital Management in 1998. Prior to that she was responsible for managing some $4 billion in assets as executive vice president of Jennison Associates. She sits on the boards of MetLife, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rockefeller University, Columbia Business School, and the Asia Society, and with her husband, Anthony, collects American art and races vintage cars.