A UCLA alumnus and his wife have pledged a $100 million gift to the university, the second
largest in its history.

Half of the money from Meyer Luskin and his wife, Renee, will go to the School of Public Affairs, which covers public policy, urban planning and social welfare, while the other half will provide an on-campus hotel and conference center.

“I am humbled and inspired by the extraordinary generosity of Meyer and Renee Luskin,” university Chancellor Gene Block said. “The Luskins are helping to ensure UCLA’s continued leadership as a public university dedicated to developing new knowledge and helping to address both today’s and tomorrow’s most pressing policy and scientific challenges.”

Luskin, 85, is president and chairman of Scope Industries, a Santa Monica-based firm that recycles bakery waste into an animal feed supplement. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 1949.

“I live and work in the region and wanted to give back in a creative and unique way that helps UCLA to continue its important work with the broader community,” Luskin said. “In addition to educating students, providing them a way to improve their lives, and conducting research, UCLA should apply faculty expertise to help address our society’s biggest issues, and I am appreciative of being able to contribute to those ends.”

Both the school and the conference center will be named after the Luskins. A ceremony at the School of Public Affairs is scheduled for March 18.

The only larger gift came in 2002, when entertainment mogul David Geffen gave the medical school $200 million.