The gift from Richard Oller, KLN ’76, LAW ’79, and Amy Oller, EDU ’76, is the second largest gift in the history of the Beasley School of Law. The Oller Center for the Rule of Law will serve as the Philadelphia home for a new national commitment to the rule of law and the principles of American democracy.
Richard Oller, KLN ’76, LAW ’79, and Amy Oller, EDU ’76, (pictured in the center) have committed $5 million to Temple and the Beasley School of Law to create the Oller Center for the Rule of Law.
Photo by Temple Institutional Advancement
Later this summer, the United States of America will celebrate its 250th birthday. Both the country and its democracy were born in Philadelphia, making it fitting that a new center within Temple University—Philadelphia's public research university—will soon be established to study democracy and the rule of law.
Together, Richard Oller, KLN ’76, LAW ’79, and his wife, Amy, EDU ’76, and their children, Benjamin Oller and Rebecca Oller, have committed $5 million to create the Oller Center for the Rule of Law within Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. The historic gift joins the Kean Family Deanship gift as the second-largest gift in Beasley’s history.
“Rule of law is not an abstract lawyer’s phrase; it’s what makes democracy real and a modern economy equitable,” Richard Oller said. “It keeps elections meaningful, protects rights and basic fairness, limits abuse and corruption, and builds the trust people need to invest, make contracts and feel secure in their daily lives.”
The vision of the Oller Center for the Rule of Law is to serve as the Philadelphia home for a new national commitment to the rule of law and the principles of American democracy. Once it is fully operational, it will offer scholars, policymakers, civic leaders and advocates for justice from a wide array of disciplines both resources and a physical space where they can work to advance the rule of law, the institutions and ideals that support it, and the civic engagement necessary to strengthen and protect democracy.
“This generous gift from Richard, Amy and the entire Oller family represents a significant moment in Temple University and the Beasley School of Law’s history as the Oller Center for the Rule of Law aligns perfectly with our strategic plan, Forward with Purpose,” said Temple President John Fry. “Through this new center, students will take part in innovative new courses and pursue consequential research, becoming exactly the type of advocates for justice that we strive to produce at Beasley. This also provides us with an important venue to further our engagement with our city and community. We are deeply grateful to the Ollers for this gift, which is an investment in our students, the Law School and the City of Philadelphia.”
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker enthusiastically pledged the City’s full engagement.
“As the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, the Oller Center for the Rule of Law at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law arrives at a profoundly fitting moment,” Mayor Parker said. “Just as Philadelphia once served as the cradle of a new democracy, this Center will stand as a national hub where scholars, policymakers, civic leaders, and advocates for justice can advance a renewed commitment to the rule of law, community engagement, and justice for all. The Oller family’s legacy—and their dedication to equity and civic education—will endure through the work of this remarkable institution.”
Initially, the Oller Center will be located within Terra Hall, the former main academic building for the University of the Arts a few blocks south of City Hall at Broad and Walnut streets. Temple acquired the building last year to serve as the new home for the university’s Center City campus.
The Center City location along the Avenue of the Arts will be ideal for helping support the numerous activities that will be held at the Oller Center. Specifically, the center will host public programs, courses, fellowships and research opportunities designed to foster collaboration among a range of participants that includes students, scholars, community advocates, policymakers, legal practitioners and more.
“The rule of law is not just a safeguard, it is a promise - that justice belongs to everyone, that fairness will guide our institutions, and that individual rights and freedoms will endure. This promise is the bedrock of who we are and a beacon for who we can become,” said Kristen E. Murray, Interim Kean Family Dean and Professor of Law at the Beasley School of Law. "The Oller Center will be the keystone for Temple Law's leadership nationally in strengthening the rule of law and the democratic institutions it supports. We are profoundly grateful not just for Richard and Amy’s generosity and support, but for their trust, partnership, and visionary leadership as well.”
The Oller family’s experience at Temple was especially impactful. Amy earned her bachelor’s degree in education, graduating cum laude, and Richard earned his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude as a President’s Scholar before going on to graduate at the top of his class from the Beasley School of Law and receive the Steven P. Kelling Award for the highest third-year academic average in 1979.
“Both Amy and I are, proudly, Temple Made,” Oller said. “We built our life together here and knew even then that Temple was giving us more than degrees—it was shaping the foundation for our careers, our values and our most important relationships. Over the years, I’ve served on the Law School’s Board of Visitors and watched its national reputation and academic strength grow. This Center for the Rule of Law can help sustain that momentum and deepen Temple Law’s commitment to educating lawyers who are grounded in fairness, equity, and public service, while drawing on the full depth of Temple’s other colleges and departments in education, history, communications, economics and beyond; from Philadelphia and Temple campuses in Japan and Italy.”
As part of the Oller gift, the Law School will establish a faculty chair in the Oller Center for the Rule of Law, which will be awarded to the Oller Center’s faculty director. An advisory board will also be established to provide guidance, assist with fundraising and serve as ambassadors of the Oller Center.
The Oller Center will offer merit-based financial aid to incoming and returning students interested in studying active democracy and the rule of law. Yearly fellowships will also be established for new graduates and senior visiting professors or practitioners who will then work to advance innovative research within the center.
“My grandparents and my father fled pogroms and came to America with nothing but a dream,” Oller said. “The heart of this Center is about keeping that dream alive for others by working to keep the playing field level through the rule of law. This Center exists because democracy doesn’t sustain itself. Here in the city where it began, the Oller Center will be a nonpolitical, forward-looking place where people come together to examine, strengthen and renew the rule of law that keeps American democracy alive and promotes democratic values everywhere.”
