Benton Institute Mourns Loss of Leonard Jay Schrager

With a heavy heart, I share the news that Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Trustee Leonard Jay Schrager died on July 25, 2024. Leonard was instrumental in the founding of Benton in 1981 and served in many roles over our 43 years. Leonard stepped into the role of Chairman of the Benton Board of Directors directly after the passing of Charles Benton in 2015. In a time of transition, Leonard was quick to remind the Benton team that "talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not." He challenged us to honor Charles' legacy and focus our efforts to bring open, affordable, high-performance broadband to all people in the U.S., no matter where they live, what they look like, or how much they make. Leonard understood broadband's power to deliver opportunities and strengthen communities. We celebrate Leonard for being a friend, lawyer, advisor, confidant, role model, leader, and mentor. After Charles died, it was so natural and easy to partner with him in the work that makes us all so proud. We all will miss Leonard, but the sage counsel he provided over the decades will live on in everything we do and stand for.