Another interest was education and he developed land for the high school in Setauket, which was named for him. His larger contribution was the donation of 400 acres of land and money to New York state to establish what is now the Stony Brook University, which was founded in 1957. First operating with classes in Oyster Bay, its current campus opened in 1962. Emphasizing teacher education in mathematics and sciences, the university has developed as a major public research institution in medicine and science. Governor W. Averell Harriman appointed Melville as chairman of the Council of the university, where he served for some years.