Gonzmart '71 gives Jesuit another $1 million

Richard Gonzmart ’71 has been a generous supporter of Jesuit High School for decades, and today the school announced he has once again made a transformational million-dollar gift.

The $1 million donation to Jesuit by Gonzmart follows many other leadership capital gifts and annual gifts to his alma mater. In 2013, Gonzmart made the first ever $1 million donation to the school from an alumnus, and he later increased that gift to $2.5 million. In 2018, Jesuit named its new 32,000-square foot Administration and Student Center in honor of the Gonzmart family, and Gonzmart Hall stands as the handsome and elegant face of Jesuit High School along Himes Ave.

“Richard and Melanie Gonzmart understand the importance of a Jesuit education and the strong commitment that is required to help sustain and advance the mission,” said Jesuit’s director of development, Nick Suszynski ’98. “Their continued leadership and full investment in the lives of our students is a clear indication of the confidence and trust they have in our mission today, and it strengthens our ability to thrive for future generations."

The $1 million gift will help ensure the continuation of the school’s long-range strategic plan, and it will be used in support of the next phase of development per the school’s campus master plan.

Gonzmart’s 1905 Family of Restaurants includes the legendary Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City, a Tampa landmark dating back more than a century, and the iconic, award-winning Ulele on Tampa’s Riverwalk.

Gonzmart, who was Jesuit’s Alumnus of the Year in 1999, supports the school in many ways each year, including as the annual Premier Tournament Sponsor of the school’s Hartnett Golf Classic fundraising tournament, Tampa’s oldest continuous charity golf event.