Why We Give

Jane and Ed Herzig, DDS '60

By: Jack Crager

Often great minds have complimentary viewpoints. When Ed and Jane Herzig set out to establish the Edward Herzig, DDS ’60 and Jane Keller Herzig Endowed Scholarship Fund at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, they each had their own motivations yet agreed on its ultimate purpose- to help support the health of the school and future of the profession.

“Philanthropy runs in my family,” says Jane Herzig, whose career as an artist was forged at Smith College in Northampton, MA, and the University of Hartford, CT. “My parents actively gave to institutions and causes they believed in, and I was brought up to do the same.”

Meanwhile her husband Ed— who launched his dental career after graduating from the College of Dental Medicine (CDM) in 1960—wanted to share in the benefits of a successful career by helping to pave the way for a younger generation of dentists. “Aid is so important,” he says, “so that these young people can come out of school without having to pay money over their whole lifetime as practitioners.” He added, “I’m also impressed by what Dean Stohler has done- he’s a man with a vision and I support that.”

For Ed, the scholarship fund has also deepened his ties with CDM, where he forged continuing lifelong friendships. “At reunions, there's a lot of camaraderie,” he notes. “But it can be hard to maintain once you leave because everyone is tied up and scurrying around, trying to establish careers and make a living.”

Having enjoyed a fruitful career in dentistry—as an employee, then a partner, then establishing his own practice and retiring at the end of the ’90s—Ed Herzig has come full circle to his graduate school, and he relishes the involvement. “I think it’s an inverse correlation: the closeness of the graduates to the year that you graduated,” he says. “Probably the ones who most recently graduated are further away from the action—from participating in the college and school events—than those of us who graduated years ago. I’ve been fortunate to continue to strengthen friendships and build memories, and it’s been enjoyable.”

Both of the Herzigs grew up with—and greatly value—a deep and wide educational foundation. “There's something about people coming into any profession with a broad background,” Jane says. “It has to do with relating to people and being able to talk about anything and come out with a feeling of connection. In a dental practice, it’s the value of a good chairside manner.”

Ed concurs, adding that he hopes the scholarship fund will help nurture well-rounded practitioners. “What I would really want is part of the education to be about something that's maybe ineffable,” he says. “It’s about caring about a relationship—so that you're not just a patient who’s bringing money into the practice, you’re a human being. It’s about compassion. It’s sheer interest in the well-being of the other individual.”

Both Ed and Jane Herzig feel that their CDM contributions will make their way to deserving students. “It’s difficult to get into the school and it's very competitive, so they're all pretty much outstanding even to be admitted,” Ed says of potential scholarship recipients. “What do I expect of them? I want them to be able to work their way through school, make a strong contribution and have a successful life. We can't predict what their future will be. We just want to support them and help get them there.”

For more information, please contact Geri Connors, Sr. Director of Development, at cdmdevelopment@cumc.columbia.edu