Eagles Owner Makes Historic Donation to Create Autism Research Institute

Jeffrey Lurie is giving an eight-figure gift.

Jeffrey Lurie speaks at the White House. / Josh Morgan-USA TODAY via Imagn Images

For Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, a family legacy of supporting autism research continues.

Lurie is making a $50 million gift to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine in order to create an institute focused on autism research, the involved parties announced Tuesday.

"We established the Lurie Autism Institute to spark a new era of scientific discovery in autism. CHOP and Penn Medicine bring unmatched expertise and a proven record of innovation, and together, they have the tools to unlock answers that have eluded the field for far too long," Lurie said.

Autism awareness has long been a favorite cause of the Lurie family. The owner's mother, Nancy Lurie Marks, established a foundation in her name in 1977. Under Lurie's guidance, the Eagles established their own autism foundation in 2018.

Per Penn Medicine, it is thought that Lurie's gift is the largest related to autism research in the history of the United States.

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