Leonard A. Lauder W54, whose vision helped transform global business education at the University of Pennsylvania, passed away on June 14 at the age of 92. An emeritus Penn trustee and longtime member of the University community, he led the Estée Lauder Companies — founded by his parents in 1946 — as president, CEO, and chairman, transforming it into one of the world’s foremost beauty brands.
In 1983, Leonard and his brother, Ronald S. Lauder W65, established the Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies at Penn in honor of their father, Joseph Lauder. Today, the Institute’s joint degree, combining a master’s in international studies from Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences with a Wharton MBA, has produced more than 2,100 alumni who are industry leaders driving innovation around the world.
Reflecting on the Institute’s founding more than four decades ago, Jules van Binsbergen, the Anthony L. Davis Director of the Institute and Lauder chair, noted in a statement that “Leonard Lauder and his brother Ronald had the remarkable foresight to recognize that the most effective business leaders would need to be culturally fluent and globally aware. They understood that success in business requires more than financial acumen; it demands an understanding of regional dynamics as well as the global forces that shape how countries and companies interact. Their deep appreciation for the arts and culture also ensured that the Institute would offer a truly interdisciplinary, Renaissance-style education — rooted in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences, yet designed specifically for business students seeking a broader, more humanistic worldview.”
William P. Lauder W83 — chair of the Estée Lauder Companies’ board of directors, a governor of the Lauder Institute, and Leonard’s eldest son — described his father as someone “known for his curiosity, constantly asking questions to better understand other people, industries, and worldviews. His lifelong connection with Wharton reinforced this mindset, enshrining his belief in the power of education and the necessity of an international perspective for business success.” Reflecting on the Institute’s significance, William added, “In the 40 years since its inception, the program that my father and uncle co-founded has become a model for the country’s top business schools. My father always reflected so proudly on the impact the Institute and its alumni have made on the world. As we celebrate my father’s extraordinary life, we are honored that the Lauder Institute and the values it represents are part of his legacy.”
Wharton School Dean Erika H. James remembered Leonard as a leader whose “visionary leadership and relentless drive for excellence were truly inspiring. His commitment to the Lauder Institute, to Wharton, and to Penn was in a class of its own, and his impact ripples across our entire community.” Recalling his personal warmth, James said, “I will always remember Leonard as one of the first alumni to reach out to me when I was appointed dean and am deeply grateful for his enduring love for Wharton, which shone through in every subsequent interaction. His presence will be profoundly missed, but we are fortunate that his legacy will endure.”
Leonard’s philanthropy supported many other initiatives across Penn’s schools and centers, including the Lauder Chair in International Relations, the Lauder Chair in Political Science, undergraduate financial aid, Wharton fellowships, the Whitney-Lauder Curatorial Fellowship at the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, the Lauder College House, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation Fund at the Perelman School of Medicine, the Leonard A. Lauder Career Center, the Penn Museum, WXPN, the Penn Fund, and the Class of 1954 Reunion Fund. In 2022, Leonard made a $125 million gift to establish the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program at Penn Nursing.
Speaking to the close bond he shared with his brother, Ronald Lauder — chairman of the Lauder Institute’s board of governors — said, “Leonard’s passing brings a chorus of appreciation and love from every part of the world he touched. This includes me in a very personal way. Leonard was more than an older brother; he was my mentor. We spoke every day of our lives, from our earliest dinners together while our parents worked late building the business until his passing. Leonard shared his dreams and aspirations for everything and everybody he loved.
“Penn offered the opportunity to transform ideas into reality, including the Lauder Institute,” Ronald added. “Together, we created the Institute because as students, we did not have the international training we desperately desired. Leonard was proud that following its recent 40th anniversary, the Institute is more than well prepared for the next 40 years thanks to the partnership with Penn, the School of Arts and Sciences, and Wharton.”
Published as “Remembering Leonard Lauder W54” in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue of Wharton Magazine.
