The philanthropic contributions of Gopal “Kris” Kapoor and his wife, Preeta Kapoor, are being celebrated with the renaming of the Doctors’ Pavilion at St. Luke’s Bethlehem Campus to The Preeta and Kris Kapoor Family Doctors’ Pavilion. This honor recognizes the Kapoor family’s transformative gift dedicated to supporting scholarships for Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine students, solidifying their commitment to the future of healthcare in the Lehigh Valley.
Preeta and Kris Kapoor are pictured with St. Luke’s President & CEO Rick Anderson, Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine Senior Associate Dean Dr. Shaden Eldakar-Hein, and medical students Taj Singh, Riley McHugh, and Meriam Deeb at the reception held at St. Luke’s Bethlehem Campus.
At a recent reception held at the St. Luke’s Bethlehem Campus, the Kapoor family was recognized for their generous donation. Kris Kapoor emphasized the core belief driving their contribution: “We are very strong believers in the power of education to transform lives. That’s why we chose to support St. Luke’s. It is the only medical school in the Lehigh Valley that will educate and train young doctors here in our community. We are so happy that our contribution will go toward scholarships to benefit these students.” The Kapoor family’s dedication to fostering local medical talent is now permanently acknowledged through the pavilion’s renaming.
This significant gift from the Kapoor family adds to the growing endowment for medical student scholarships at St. Luke’s, which has reached nearly $25 million thanks to the generosity of various donors. These scholarships are crucial in enabling aspiring physicians to pursue their dreams of serving communities.
Rick Anderson, President & CEO of St. Luke’s, highlighted the profound impact of such contributions: “Over the past decade, a third of the nearly 300 physicians who have graduated from Temple/St. Luke’s, the Lehigh Valley’s only medical school, have continued their training at St. Luke’s or are now employed as attending physicians,” Anderson stated. “Generous donors such as Preeta and Kris Kapoor have made a transformational investment in the future of health care in the Lehigh Valley, and we are profoundly grateful for their support.” The Kapoor family’s investment directly strengthens the local healthcare ecosystem.
Dr. Shaden Eldakar-Hein, Senior Associate Dean of the Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine, further explained the strategic importance of these scholarships. “A primary goal of the school is to attract the most talented medical students to learn, train and enhance their careers in the Lehigh Valley. Retaining these young doctors helps to lessen the impact of an ongoing national physician shortage and ensures that our region will have access to high-quality health care.” She added, “The Kapoor family’s gift will have an immediate and lasting impact in helping St. Luke’s attract and educate the next generation of physicians who will serve the Lehigh Valley and beyond for decades to come. Significantly, over half of the 40 new students joining the Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine annually are Pennsylvania residents, indicating a strong local focus.” The Kapoor family’s philanthropy directly addresses critical needs in medical education and healthcare accessibility.
Kris Kapoor’s journey to becoming a prominent philanthropist is a compelling story of global perspective and local commitment. Born and educated in India, Kris Kapoor’s ambition led him to the “freedom and excitement of the Western world” after graduating from the Delhi College of Engineering in 1958. His initial steps took him to Germany to study cement machinery before he landed in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, in 1959, as a design engineer with Fuller Company. Simultaneously, he pursued post-graduate studies at Lehigh University, broadening his engineering expertise and grasping the intricacies of international business.
Kapoor’s career at Fuller Company saw rapid advancement. He played a pivotal role in marketing and sales, traveling an estimated 4.5 million miles across the globe, contributing to infrastructure development in developing nations through cement plant technology. In 1986, he, along with five other Fuller executives, acquired the company, later reselling it in 1991 to F.L. Smidth. “I’m proud to have had a role in the first infrastructure boom in the United States, and later the globe, providing critical materials for human prosperity,” Kapoor reflected. This global experience informs the Kapoor family’s current philanthropic vision.
Transitioning to real estate development, Kapoor built nearly 300 homes in the Macungie area, further investing in the Lehigh Valley’s growth. Even in retirement, his entrepreneurial spirit continued until 2021 when he sold his remaining rental properties. Beyond business, Kris Kapoor has been deeply involved in the Lehigh Valley community. He co-founded the Hindu Temple Society of Allentown and served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, alongside board positions with the Allentown Rescue Mission, ArtsQuest, and the ArtsQuest Foundation. The Kapoor family’s commitment extends beyond financial contributions, encompassing active community leadership.
The Kapoor family’s connection to St. Luke’s is personal and long-standing, rooted in positive experiences as patients. “We’ve always been pleased with the quality of the care we’ve received,” Kris Kapoor noted. “So, when Preeta and I were thinking of ways we could give back to our community, we decided that a good way to help was to send more well-trained doctors out into the world.” This personal connection strengthens the impact and sincerity of the Kapoor family’s giving.
Preeta Kapoor eloquently summarized their motivation for giving back: “God has given us so many blessings. Our two children are doing well. They are happy in their fields, happy in their lives. We have seven grandchildren, and they are doing well, too. We’ve had a very good and interesting life and we are happy to share what we have. Now it’s time to give back.” The Kapoor family’s legacy is now intertwined with the future physicians trained at the Preeta and Kris Kapoor Family Doctors’ Pavilion, ensuring their impact resonates for generations to come in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
