United States
In recognition of his role in advancing continuing education for professionals in medicine and finance; of his boundless enthusiasm for the Weizmann Institute of Science, through his generosity across a range of scientific areas and as an esteemed member of its International Board; and of his deep devotion to the future of Israel and the Jewish people.
John L. Schwartz, MD, is a psychiatrist, an entrepreneur, and a philanthropist – and a cherished friend of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated from Columbia College of Columbia University. After earning his MD at New York University on an honors scholarship, Dr. Schwartz was a psychiatric resident at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. He completed a fellowship in child psychiatry at the University of California, Irvine, and was Board Certified in psychiatry in 1975.
Dr. Schwartz made the transition from medical practitioner to businessman in the 1980s. To start, he founded Continuing Medical Education, Inc. (CME), which grew under his leadership into the largest proprietary provider of clinical information for medical practitioners in the United States – hosting continuing education meetings and trade shows, and publishing medical newspapers and journals, including the Psychiatric Times, which he had founded.
After selling CME, Dr. Schwartz pivoted to the world of finance. With one of his financial managers, he established the Value Investing Congress, which provided cutting edge information for investors in the way that CME had served physicians. The Congress attracted hedge fund managers and high-net-worth investors from around the world.
Since his retirement in late 2014, Dr. Schwartz has focused his attention on family and philanthropy. John and his wife Vera have three adult children and eight grandchildren, who range in age from 14 months to 17 years.
A Life Member of the Weizmann Institute’s International Board, Dr. John Schwartz and his wife, PhD honoris causa recipient Vera Schwartz, are esteemed members of the President’s Circle. Together, they have championed scientific research at the Institute, most recently committing to support the Frontiers of the Universe flagship project in the field of astrophysics and space exploration. In addition, they established professorial and research fellow chairs, created the Vera and John Schwartz Family Center for Metabolic Biology, and provided generous support to various other research and educational endeavors. Vera and John Schwartz are enthusiastic Weizmann ambassadors, spreading their own love for the Institute and its mission of “science for the benefit of humanity” among their wide community of friends.