(CNN) Vartan Gregorian, the philanthropist and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient whose work revitalized the New York Public Library, died Thursday at age 87 while hospitalized for "testing related to stomach pain," according to a statement by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Gregorian served as the Carnegie Corporation's president in New York City and the former president of Brown University. "We must provide opportunities for the entire spectrum of our society. For America is a microcosm of the world, and Brown must be a microcosm of America." Born in Iran to Armenian parents in 1934, Gregorian moved to the United States in 1956 to attend Stanford University, according to a tribute by Carnegie Corporation.

Source: CNN April 18, 2021 07:52 UTC