The Sokol Legacy

Margaret McCormack ’38 and Herman Sokol ’37 met as students at Montclair State Teachers College in the 1930s and went on to make an extraordinary impact on their alma mater through decades of philanthropy and support. Shortly after graduation, they married and built distinguished careers. Dr. Herman Sokol became a renowned research chemist, drug pioneer, and president of Bristol-Myers Company from 1976 to 1981, helping develop the process now used worldwide to manufacture tetracycline antibiotics. Margaret Sokol dedicated her career to teaching mathematics and science in public schools.

Their generosity has been felt throughout the University through scholarships, fellowships, research awards, the Sokol Seminar Room, the Margaret and Herman Sokol Science Lecture Series, and Montclair State’s first named chair. Their most transformative contribution came through an $8.5 million bequest in 2007—the largest gift in the University’s history—which established endowed fellowships, professorships, faculty awards within the College of Science and Mathematics, and the Margaret and Herman Sokol Institute of Pharmaceutical Life Sciences.

The Institute was created to foster collaboration among faculty, students, researchers, and industry professionals in pharmaceutical and medicinal life sciences, helping position Montclair State as a leader in scientific research and education. Through their visionary support, the Sokols created a lasting legacy that continues to expand research opportunities, strengthen academic excellence, and inspire future generations of scientists.