Daniel G. Kamin built his own telescope when he was a teenager — he was fascinated with space.
That passion has remained with him more than six decades later, and now he wants to fuel that same energy in others.
That’s a reason he and his wife, Carole L. Kamin, gifted a historic $65 million to the Carnegie Museum’s Carnegie Science Center on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.
The donation was announced Tuesday at a media event. The Carnegie will change the signage to read: The Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center.
“This is a history-making day,” said Jason Brown, Henry Buhl Jr. director of the science center and vice-president of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. “This will allow for so many great opportunities for the future of the science center. The vision and generosity of this one amazing family fits with the mission of the science center to connect people and science and ignite curiosity for a lifetime”
It is the largest monetary gift in the history of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh — the largest, that is, since the original contribution of founder Andrew Carnegie, said Steven Knapp, president and CEO of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. He said he could not have imagined that during his tenure that he would have the privilege to participate in an event like this one.
“Dan and Carole have been generous supporters of our museums for many years, and with this unprecedented gift they are further establishing their legacy as true leaders in Pittsburgh’s philanthropic community,” Knapp said. “Their forward-looking generosity will establish a firm foundation for the science center as it expands its capacity to inform and inspire its audiences within and beyond our region.”
Knapp said what attracted him to Pittsburgh four years ago was its great concentration of institutions such as the museums, health care, sports teams, colleges and universities, theater and the arts.
He said the idea for this gift from the Kamins came about last summer.
“This money will continue to highlight all of the wonderful aspects of Pittsburgh and add to the vibrancy and quality of life here,” Knapp said.
Sitting on the stage, not far from the telescope he made, Daniel and Carole Kamin talked about why they wanted to donate this money. Daniel Kamin, 82, said he has always been fascinated with the night sky. A photograph of the moon that he took in 1957 was displayed.
Daniel Kamin, a commercial real estate entrepreneur and owner of Kamin Realty Management, has sold real estate in 44 U.S. cities. His grandfather started the company. Daniel Kamin recalled buying and selling real estate when he was in college at Harvard University.
He said as a child, he visited the Buhl Planetarium and the Institute of Popular Science, the precursor to the Carnegie Science Center.
Carole Kamin is an emeritus member of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History advisory board and a longtime member of Carnegie Museum of Art’s Women’s Committee. She worked as a buyer and manager for the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History gift shops. In 2016, a $5 million commitment from the Kamins permanently endowed the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s director position, now held by Gretchen Baker, who is the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Director of the museum.
“We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful assets in Pittsburgh,” said Daniel Kamin, a Shady Side Academy graduate, who was wearing a planets-patterned necktie that his wife bought. “I am so proud to live in this city. This is give back time.”
Brown met the Kamins five years ago. He said life is about relationships. Brown said that he and the Kamins formed a bond when they visited the science center and became involved in what was happening there.
“I don’t really have the words to describe this,” Brown said. “This is enormous. What we can do here is so significant and will have a lasting impact.”
The first order of business is to invest the money, Brown said. He plans to meet with the staff and explore ways to improve the museum.
He said he will include the employees in what needs to be done because they are the people who interact daily with patrons.
“We will work to improve the visitor and staff experience,” Brown said. “We want to update the galleries to be more relevant to the issues of science.”
People will notice changes over the next few months and years. One thing that won’t change is the museum will still be one of the four Carnegie Museums, Brown said. The science center opened to the public in its current location in 1991.
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“The Science Center is a vital contributor to the economic vitality of the Pittsburgh region and a great partner to our schools and science-based businesses,” Daniel Kamin said.”Carole and I were inspired by the future vision presented by the science center’s leadership, and we felt compelled to support it in a meaningful way.”
This is an important day for his parents, their son Michael Kamin, of Uptown, said.
“They wanted to give back to the city,” he said. “I am so proud of them. My father loves science, so this has really come full circle for him.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people and a weekly column about things to do in Pittsburgh. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.