Roar Bites

A Legendary Dedication

Columbia’s basketball players are now squeaking their sneakers on a newly dedicated floor: In February, the center court in Levien Gymnasium was named in honor of Jonathan D. Schiller ’69, LAW’73.

Even before the dedication, Schiller’s name had long been synonymous with Columbia basketball. A three-year letter winner, he was a member of the 1967–68 Ivy League men’s basketball championship team, which was ranked fifth in the country and was inducted into the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. Schiller, a frontcourt player who competed alongside future NBA players Jim McMillian ’70 and Dave Newmark ’68, was named to the inaugural class of Legends of Ivy League Basketball in 2017.

“For more than 50 years, Columbia basketball has been a constant and transformative element in my life,” Schiller said. “I have been privileged to work with many committed alumni in support of the basketball program, including through the last decade with Columbia’s Board of Trustees and President Lee Bollinger. The dedication of this beautiful gym floor is a great honor for my family.” Schiller, a commercial litigator and arbitration lawyer, has been a trustee since 2009; he received a John Jay Award in 2006 and the Alexander Hamilton Medal in 2012.

“I look forward to our women’s and men’s teams nailing 3-pointers from the spot where the ‘D’ is on the floor in pursuit of Ivy League championships,” Schiller said. “Go Lions!”

Women Fencers Finish First

Columbia fencing continues to dominate the competition, as the women’s fencing team again captured the Ivy League crown — their third consecutive outright title, and the fifth time in six seasons that they’ve topped the podium.

The team went a perfect 6–0 at the Ivy League Championships, held in Boston in early February. The men’s team, meanwhile, took second place with a 4–1 record.