Oct 23, 2007 -- Yeshiva College celebrated the generosity and vision of philanthropist and industrialist Michael Gamson and his wife, Barbara, and renowned New York immigration attorney Leon Wildes at Yeshiva College’s annual dinner on Sunday, October 21, 2007 at Pier Sixty Chelsea Piers in New York City. To view photos of the dinner please click here. With their philanthropic work, the Gamsons follow the example of Mr. Gamson’s father, Dr. Bernard W. Gamson, a longtime member of the Board of Directors at Yeshiva College, who passed away in 2000. In memory of Mr. Gamson’s father, the Gamsons have endowed new state-of the-art physics laboratories at Yeshiva College. Dr. Gamson, a chemical engineer, held 30 scientific patents in the fields of chemical engineering and nuclear, retired as President and C.E.O. of Martin Marietta Aluminum. “My father would have been thrilled to see kippots and tzitzith flying under lab coats,” said Michael Gamson. “I think about the next generation. Will one of these young men cure cancer? Cure the energy crisis? My father used to say that the sky’s the limit.” A forerunner in immigration law, Leon Wildes was honored for his prominence as a community leader. He is the founder of Wildes & Weinberg, the premier law firm specializing in immigration and nationality issues, where he serves as senior partner. In his best known case, Mr. Wildes successfully represented former Beatle John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, in high profile deportation proceedings that were initiated by the Nixon administration. As a result of the case, several new aspects of immigration law were advanced. A magna cum laude graduate of Yeshiva College, Mr. Wildes serves as a treasurer of the college's Board of Directors. He holds Juris Doctor and Masters of Law degrees from the New York University School of Law and is an adjunct professor of law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University. Yeshiva University President Richard M. Joel called Mr. Wildes “one of my heroes. At the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, we believe in compassionate care. Leon brings his compassionate care to the law.” The Class of 1971 was feted at the gala, which was established the The Rabbi Sheldon S. Miller Memorial Fund. “Shelly always brought a sense of joy and warmth,” recalled President Joel. “It is wonderful to celebrate his life.” Three alumni of Yeshiva College received prestigious Revel Awards, given in memory of the first Yeshiva University President, Rabbi Dr. Bernard Revel. The recipients were Rabbi Tzvi Flaum ’71Y of Lawrence, NY, and Congregation Knesset Israel; Rabbi Doniel Z. Kramer ’70Y of Brooklyn, NY, and VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System; and Dr. John Loike ’71Y of Jamaica, NY, and Columbia University. “These three men follow an extraordinarily proud tradition of the best and the brightest,” lauded President Joel. For more information about the honorees, click here.