Brothers Give $1 Million to Glendale Community College

Two Glendale brothers who run a successful chain of Burger King franchises have agreed to donate $1 million to a planned NASA/JPL science education center at Glendale Community College.

The gift from brothers Larry and Ralph Cimmarusti was announced by college Supt./President John A. Davitt at a news conference Thursday. The money will be used to equip a planetarium in the center and to fund an endowment for future programs.

The gift will help “improve teaching of science for the entire region,” said Davitt, adding that “a million dollars, to be honest, for a four-year university is not that big a deal. But for us it is.”

Sons of a Glendale plumber, the Cimmarustis were “poor kids with no goals” when they graduated from high school, said Larry Cimmarusti, the elder of the two.

They got their college education at Glendale College, opened a vegetable stand and a delicatessen, and now own 140 Burger King and Tony Roma’s restaurants nationwide.

They have given money to a number of educational causes, including awarding scholarships to C students, “because that’s what we were,” said Larry Cimmarusti. They agreed to a request for a gift to Glendale College because they are alumni and have been impressed with the institution’s growth, he said.

Davitt said the college foundation has a goal of raising $1 million more to match the Cimmarusti gift.

The cash donation is thought to be one of the largest to a California community college. Santa Barbara City College has received two $1-million grants in recent years.

Large gifts to community colleges are not common. Compared to other higher education institutions, community colleges have not traditionally emphasized fund-raising, although in recent years many have stepped up solicitation.

Federal funds were approved last year for the science education center at Glendale College. The center will be open to the public and will be used for teacher training as well as college programs. Officials plan to break ground on the project next year.