About the Fund
“We were both brought up in families that were philanthropic,” Mr. Cohen said. “We were taught to give away to those who were less fortunate. As we got older and accumulated more wealth, we became even more strongly committed to giving.”
The Julian and Eunice Cohen Scholarship Fund, founded in 1988, awards scholarships to academically talented students from Palm Beach and Martin counties who demonstrate financial need. “The scholarships are especially exciting,” Mr. Cohen said. “They help many young people who would never have a chance to go to college.”
A graduate of Dartmouth College, Mr. Cohen pioneered the shopping center industry in New England in the 1950s. Mrs. Cohen, a Harvard graduate and Boston native, shared his commitment to philanthropy, serving on the boards of arts, medical, and educational organizations in both Boston and South Florida. “She was something different. Everyone loved her,” Mr. Cohen recalled. “She was a wonderful woman.”
Their impact on the community is visible everywhere, from the Eunice and Julian Cohen Pavilion at the Kravis Center to the Julian and Eunice Cohen Pops Conductor’s Chair at the Boston Pops, and through their long association with the Community Foundation.
“Not only does Julian Cohen have a brilliant mind, he has a good heart,” said Tom Giuffrida, former publisher of The Palm Beach Post. “Together with his late wife, Eunice, he has shown how much he cares for our community with his generous gifts to education, the arts, and countless other causes.”
Dwight Allison, Jr., former chair of the Community Foundation, agreed: “Julian Cohen is an extraordinarily generous and caring citizen of every community of which he is a part, and this emphatically includes Palm Beach County. His philanthropic footprints are everywhere.”
The Cohens’ philanthropy continues to touch lives today, a testament to their shared belief: “If you have been truly fortunate, care for your loved ones and care for people less fortunate than you.”
