Bob Barker Gives Law School $1 Million for Animal Rights Law

BOB BARKER AWARDS COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL $1 MILLION TO SUPPORT THE STUDY OF ANIMAL RIGHTS 

NEW YORK, NY, December 2004 -- Bob Barker, the host of the Emmy award winning "The Price Is Right" and an animal rights activist, has made a $1 million gift to the Law School to support the study of animal rights.

Mr. Barker, who made his debut on national television as the host of the popular "Truth or Consequences," is now in his 33rd year as host of "The Price Is Right," the longest running game show in television history.

"The Law School is extremely grateful for this generous gift," said Dean David M. Schizer. "And we look forward to giving our students exposure to this growing area of legal scholarship."

Mr. Barker's support for animal rights became public during the "Fur Flap" surrounding the 1987 Miss USA Pageant, when he refused to host the event if the swimsuit contestants wore real furs. He prevailed (the contestants wore synthetic furs), but the following year he resigned as host - after 21 years - when the producers refused to remove fur coats from the prize packages. In 1987, he spearheaded the investigation of the movie Project X that led to a request by the Los Angeles Department of Animal Regulation that criminal charges be filed for animal cruelty during the production of the picture. Mr. Barker has established the DJ&T Foundation - in memory of his wife and mother - whose purpose is to help control the dog and cat population.

Mr. Barker's gift will support current initiatives into animal rights law, as well as open up possibilities in which the Law School will draw on its wealth of resources and contacts to develop future endeavors.

During the 2005-06 academic year, for example, the gift will be used to enlist the services of David Wolfson '93, a partner at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, to teach a class on animal rights. Mr. Wolfson represents, on a pro bono basis, groups such as the Humane Society of the United States and the Animal Legal Defense Fund. He also has published on animal rights law and has taught classes on the subject at several law schools.

The gift also will be used to enhance Professor Edward Lloyd's program on environmental law, which focuses in part in animals threatened by adverse changes to their environment. Students in Prof. Lloyd's Environmental Law Clinic represent local, regional, and national environmental organizations to help solve critical environmental challenges facing the New York metropolitan region.

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