Meadville, Pa. – Sept. 23, 2005 – Allegheny College's capital campaign, Tradition & Transformation: Making a Difference, has surpassed $100 million in gifts and pledges – a milestone that no other Allegheny fund-raising effort has achieved.
“Reaching $100 million is a landmark event for Allegheny,” says trustee and campaign co-chair Tom St. Clair, a 1957 graduate from Sewickley, Pa. “This confirms Allegheny's place among the nation's top liberal arts colleges. It's also a testimony to the loyalty and generosity of our many supporters and represents a special legacy of the campaign's co-chair, David Hoag.” Hoag, a college trustee and a 1960 graduate from Moreland Hills, Ohio, died in August 2004.
More than 15,000 donors – including alumni, parents, friends, foundations and corporations – have supported Tradition & Transformation, a comprehensive campaign that was launched publicly in October 2002 and is scheduled to conclude in June 2006.
Campaign gifts have brought about remarkable changes on campus, including extensive renovations to the Henderson Campus Center and the complete restoration of Cochran Hall, which will house the Patricia Bush Tippie '56 Alumni Center.
A recent bequest from Gordon Patterson, Allegheny class of 1945, helped to propel the campaign over the $100 million mark. Patterson, who lived in Wilmington, Del., designated his gift to endow a fund that provides financial assistance for Allegheny students majoring in the sciences. Endowed funds provide permanent, ongoing support for programs, research and financial aid at Allegheny.
Bolstering the endowment is a key focus during the campaign's final year. Trustee Herb Myers, Allegheny class of 1961, has pledged $1 million to match new endowment gifts and pledges made by June 30, 2006, that are designated for faculty support and student learning.
Myers, of Poulsbo, Wash., will match dollar-for-dollar gifts and pledges ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 designated to create endowed funds in a variety of areas, including faculty-student collaborative research, internships, service learning opportunities, senior projects, overseas study, conference support, and science and computer equipment.
“Allegheny's continued success depends on a strong and growing endowment,” says Allegheny president Richard J. Cook. “The Myers Challenge allows donors to double the impact of their endowment gifts, and these investments will pay great dividends in the lives of faculty and students for generations to come.”
