Leonhards Give $1 Million For Engineering Fund

August 31, 2000
University Park, Pa.—A $1 million gift from Penn State alumnus William E. Leonhard and his wife, Wyllis, will establish two new donor advised funds in the College of Engineering.

One fund will be named in the couple’s honor while the second will honor their son, Richard, who is a 1966 Penn State aerospace engineering graduate, and his wife, Marion. Both funds will be used at the discretion of the College of Engineering’s dean in consultation with a representative of the donor’s family.

"The Leonhards’ continuing generous support gives our college the opportunity to support deserving students and faculty, and will allow us to stay at the forefront of new educational program initiatives," said Engineering Dean David Wormley.

Funds from the gift could support "targets of opportunity" in the college, Wormley noted. Possibilities include supporting student educational projects and activities, equipping and maintaining teaching and research laboratories, and curriculum development.

"Penn State is so fortunate to have received such a generous gift, and we are particularly grateful because of the important role the Leonhards have in the College of Engineering," said Penn State President Graham Spanier. "Bill and Wyllis’s philanthropy will support faculty and students in engineering in innovative, educational activities at a time when economic and technological changes are occurring at an unprecedented rate."

William Leonhard is the retired chair and chief executive officer of the California-based Parsons Corp., where he worked for many years, following a 28-year career in the Air Force and Army Corps of Engineers.

"Since moving to ‘Happy Valley’ a few years ago, Wyllis and I have come to appreciate the beauty of the area and all that Penn State does to promote learning, music, athletics and the arts here," said Leonhard. "We wanted to continue to support that vital academic atmosphere."

A well-known advocate of engineering education, Leonhard has made a significant impact on Penn State Engineering. He has endowed the Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education, the William Leonhard Chair in Engineering, the William E. Leonhard Professorship in Engineering, and most recently, the William and Wyllis Leonhard Honors Program in Engineering.

In recognition of his generous support and dedication to the welfare of Penn State, the University’s Board of Trustees named the newest engineering building in his honor in November 1993. The Leonhard Building was formally dedicated in October 1999.

In 1982, William Leonhard was elected into the National Academy of Engineering and was named a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus. In 1988, he was honored as a Penn State Alumni Fellow. He earned his B.S. from Penn State in 1936 and an M.S. from MIT, both in electrical engineering.

The University invests endowed gifts and uses part of the annual income for the purposes designated by the donors. The remaining income is returned to the principal to protect it from inflation.