Ronald Reagan Institute Launches First Named Chair and Fellowship with Landmark Gift

WASHINGTON, DC – The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute today announced a major donation from Mark Solomons of Washington, DC, to support the Ronald Reagan Institute’s Center for Scholarly Initiatives. This gift will create the first named position in the history of the organization.

The donation will create two endowments: The Jill E. Kent Chair in History, Civics, and Statecraft (the Kent Chair) and the Mark E. Solomons Fellow in American Political Thought and Government (the Solomons Fellow). The Kent Chair is named in honor of Mr. Solomons’ late wife, Jill Kent, who led a distinguished career of public service, including being appointed by President Ronald Reagan as an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Finance and Management. Jill also served as the first Chief Financial Officer of the Department of State, working directly with Secretary of State James A. Baker III.

The Solomons Fellow will provide a unique research opportunity for post-graduate scholars with a preferred research focus in history of the administrative state, regulatory studies, and constitutional law. The Fellow relates directly to Mark’s distinguished 40-year legal career, during which he appeared in front of the Supreme Court numerous times and became known as an expert in constitutional and administrative law. Mark was the co-founder and co-Chair of the Supreme Court and Issues Practice while at the Greenberg Traurig LLP law firm. More than a philanthropic investment, this gift is a lasting tribute to the values of public service, intellectual inquiry, and constitutional governance embodied by both Jill and Mark. It will greatly strengthen the Reagan Institute’s ability to produce world class scholarship that deepens understanding of American history, civics, and the enduring principles of American democracy.

"Mark’s generosity represents a transformational investment in the future of scholarship at the Reagan Institute,” said Dr. Anthony Eames, Director of Scholarly Initiatives at the Reagan Institute. “The Kent Chair and Solomons Fellowship will enable us to attract exceptional scholars, expand our research community, and advance serious inquiry into the history of the ideas and institutions that animated President Reagan’s leadership. This endowment ensures that the Center for Scholarly Initiatives will remain a leading beacon of President Reagan’s principle of informed patriotism for decades to come."