Daisy Soros

Daisy M. Soros (née Schlenger) is a Hungarian-born American philanthropist and supporter of the arts. She is the chairman of the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, a fellowship program that supports two years of graduate studies for 30 New Americans each year. She was married to the late Paul Soros, founder of Soros Associates and older brother of financier George Soros.

Daisy Margaret Schlenger was born in Bratislava (in modern-day Slovakia on September 4, 1929. After graduating from the Lutheran Gymnasium, she received her diploma from École hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland. She came to the United States on a student visa as an Austrian citizen, enrolling at Columbia University School of General Studies.

Daisy spent many happy moments at International House, New York. One colorful anecdote from her time at Columbia's I-House was in the cafeteria. Waiting in line for food, she overheard two boys speaking in her native Hungarian.

"I'd like to sleep with that girl," one Hungarian boy said to the other, gesturing to Daisy.

She turned around and answered him in their shared native language.

"I believe it."

The crew became fast friends, with the boys eventually introducing Daisy to her future husband, wealthy philanthropist Paul Soros.

She later attended the New York School of Interior Design, and NYU’s School of Social Work, and worked extensively as a counselor to terminally ill patients and their families.

Paul Soros and Daisy Schlenger met in 1950 in New York, where they were both college students living at the International House. Though they had very different personalities (she was extroverted and sociable while he was introverted and quiet), they began dating, and married in 1951. Together they had two children, Peter and Jeffrey. Peter is an investment banker and lives in England with his two sons. Jeffrey, a producer, philanthropist, and former President of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, resides in California with his wife and two children. Both Peter and Jeffrey serve on the Board of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship Program, Jeffrey as its President.

Soros has been involved with various charitable organizations for decades. In 1993, she became a member of the Board of Overseers of Weill Cornell Medical College. In an effort to promote the mission and ideals of academic medicine, she founded the popular Information Please luncheon lecture series. She also serves on the Steering Committee for the Medical College’s Discoveries that Make a Difference Campaign and is founder of the Dean’s Council.In 1997, Paul and Daisy Soros established the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans in order to provide assistance to young New Americans for graduate studies. Initially with a fifty million dollar trust fund, the Soroses donated an additional $25 million in 2010.She also serves on the boards of The Society of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The Foreign Policy Association and The American Austrian Foundation. Additionally, she is an honorary trustee of the International House.

Daisy Soros serves as secretary on the board of the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera, director emeritus of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the chairman’s council of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vice President of Venetian Heritage, and is former Chairman of the Board of the Friends of the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

Soros has received several awards and honors for her philanthropic work, including:

• The Metro International Fulbright Award,
• The Lincoln Center Laureate Award,
• The Ellis Island Medal of Honor,
• The International House Harry Edmonds Award,
• The Casita Maria Gold Medal of Honor,
• The National Immigration Forum's "Keepers of the American Dream Award,"
• Honors from the Henry Street Settlement,
• An honorary Doctor of Laws at Bates College in Maine, and
• An honorary Doctor of Humane Letter from Macaulay Honors College of the City University of New York.