Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, has announced an $8.4 million gift from the estate of Seymour S. "Sy" Bluestone.

The bequest from Bluestone, a former rehabilitation doctor who died in September at the age of 96, will provide financial aid for four or five students in the Sustainable International Development (SID) program at the university's Heller School for Social Policy and Management; support research and program development in the Center for Global Development and Sustainability, also at the Heller School; and support students enrolled in the university's Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program (MKTYP), which prepares talented students from underresourced high schools for a competitive liberal-arts curriculum through a combination of small classes, rigorous academics, and strong academic support.

Bluestone, who lived in Clearwater, Florida, began making small gifts to Brandeis in the 1990s at the request of family friends. He visited the campus just once, in 2000, and learned about several Brandeis programs. In 2001, he created the Jesse F. and Dora H. Bluestone Scholarship in memory of his parents to assist students in the SID program. Born in 1921, Bluestone was a graduate of Cornell University and New York University School of Medicine. From 1945 to 1947, he served as a medical officer in the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of captain, and later held several medical positions, including ten years as director of the New York State Rehabilitation Hospital.

"Sy Bluestone's bequest will help Brandeis continue to attract talented students of all backgrounds and perspectives," said Brandeis president Ron Liebowitz. "This gift will strengthen our ability to stay true to our mission as a university founded on openness, academic rigor, and inclusiveness."