# Union Theological Seminary

Union Theological Seminary is an Endowment / Foundation based in New York, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 3041 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States
- **Founded:** 1836
- **Assets under management:** $112.6M (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** utsnyc.edu
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/school/union-theological-seminary/

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Union Theological Seminary was founded in 1836 by Presbyterian ministers and has evolved into the oldest independent seminary in the United States. Its endowment, estimated at roughly $112.6M (Altss estimate), supports a progressive Christian institution that shares academic resources and library systems with its neighbor, Columbia University, while managing a fully separate balance sheet. The portfolio strategy balances financial assets with a heavy concentration in its real estate holdings. The primary campus at 3041 Broadway in Morningside Heights sits on one of New York City's most valuable land parcels. The institution monetized its air rights in a joint venture to build Claremont Hall, a mixed-use tower at 100 Claremont Avenue that retains academic and faculty space within a larger residential development. This deal represents a non-traditional endowment maneuver — converting theological-school real property into a long-term funding mechanism rather than conducting a standard campaign or relying solely on marketable securities. The seminary joined the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) in 2024, channeling its capital through a network of activist institutions focused on human rights and corporate engagement. The board stewardship falls under Chair J. Clifford Hudson, former CEO of Sonic Corp and a former trustee of the Ford Foundation, and Vice-Chair Rhonda Joy McLean, former Deputy General Counsel of Time Inc. President Serene Jones, a prominent theologian, has steered the institution through the Claremont Hall development and into activist investment networks. The Lilly Endowment stands as a known philanthropic partner in the seminary's broader funding landscape. The seminary's structure as an independent affiliate of Columbia University gives it a rare dual identity — part academic partner to an Ivy League institution, part standalone asset owner with its own board, endowment, and real estate portfolio. The Claremont Hall air-rights deal creates a funding model more common among cash-strapped New York cultural institutions than among divinity schools, placing Union's balance-sheet strategy in a category of its own.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Education

## Offices

- 100 Claremont Avenue, New York, NY 10027, United States

## People

- Serene Jones — President
- J. Clifford Hudson — Chair of the Board of Trustees
- Rhonda Joy McLean — Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees

## Questions

### How does the Claremont Hall deal affect the endowment's structure?

The Claremont Hall development at 100 Claremont Avenue is a mixed-use project that monetized the air rights above the seminary's campus. Union retained academic and faculty space in the new building while generating a new, long-term revenue stream. This transaction effectively transformed a dormant real estate asset into a structural funding source outside traditional endowment performance.

### Is the Union Theological Seminary endowment tied to Columbia University's endowment?

No. Union is an affiliate of Columbia University, sharing academic resources and library systems, but maintains a completely separate endowment and board of trustees. The two institutions have distinct investment pools, governance, and financial objectives.

### What is Union's posture on socially responsible investing?

The seminary joined the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility in 2024, signaling an active posture on shareholder engagement for human rights and social justice. President Serene Jones has historically championed divestment strategies and corporate accountability, making values alignment a stated component of the institution's financial operations.

### Does Union Theological Seminary participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

The seminary's precise asset allocation is not public. However, the Claremont Hall joint venture with a private developer demonstrates a willingness to make large, illiquid direct investments in real estate when the asset aligns with its campus footprint and long-term funding needs.

## Related profiles

- [Wright State University Foundation](https://altss.com/profile/wright-state-university)
- [Bright Horizon Foundation](https://altss.com/profile/bright-horizon-foundation)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/union-theological-seminary

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology