Mel and Ruth Wolzinger

Mel and Ruth Wolzinger were active supporters of UNLV, its students, and its academic and community initiatives for decades. Through their time and support, including Mel’s service on the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees, the Wolzinger’s generous contributions to the university left an indelible imprint that will continue to touch the lives of students who choose UNLV.

Through the Wolzinger Family Research Scholarship Endowment and other scholarships they established, as well as many generous contributions to athletic programs, the Wolzingers provided major funding to help deserving individuals – regardless of race, gender, or economic status – with access to a college education.

Their generous contributions also reached key campus areas such as the Black Mountain Institute, the Wilson Advising Center, the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History, and the UNLV Annual Fund—where their unrestricted gifts enabled the university to address needs as they arise. Additionally, as co-trustee of the Earl and Hazel Mae Wilson Estate, Mel presented UNLV the largest gift in its history at the time to fund various campus programs, and for the construction of the Earl E. Wilson Baseball Stadium.

In 2009, the Wolzingers were honored as a Diamond member of the Palladium Society, or donors who have contributed a cumulative of $10 million or more to UNLV. War hero, philanthropist, and gaming pioneer, Mel passed away in 2019 at the age of 98.