University Park, Pa. -- Penn State alumnus Douglas L. Rock, of Houston, Texas, has pledged $5 million to endow the Rock Ethics Institute in Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts. The endowment will provide extensive opportunities for students and faculty to study the moral and ethical issues that society faces.

Douglas L. Rock, a 1968 psychology graduate, is president, chief executive officer and chairman of Houston-based Smith International, a Fortune 1,000 company. Smith International is a worldwide supplier of products and services used to drill oil and gas wells. Rock also is a director and former chairman of the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association and a director of Viad Corp.

As a business executive, Rock has long been concerned about the ethical dilemmas that face today’s college graduates, as demonstrated by the "ethics hotline" established at Smith International.

"Today, technology sprints around the track of progress while humanity gasps to keep pace," said Rock. "In tomorrow’s world, humanity must win this race. The stakes are high. Penn State has the right people to lead the charge."

The creation of the Rock Ethics Institute in association with the Department of Philosophy will enable faculty to educate students across all disciplines in "moral literacy," a concept that encompasses the ability to recognize moral issues, think rationally about them, and formulate and critically support responses to contemporary moral and ethical dilemmas.

"The Rock Ethics Institute is an exciting new initiative," said President Graham Spanier. "The institute underscores Penn State’s commitment to play a key role in preserving the moral and aesthetic values of society. This model program will send a powerful message about the importance the University attaches to ethical behavior and moral literacy."

Susan Welch, dean of the College of the Liberal Arts, pointed to the institute’s University-wide implications.

"Doug Rock’s magnificent gift will endow a premier ethics institute that promises to become a national leader," she said. "In addition to being a place for public discussions about the ethical issues facing our society, we intend an important part of the mission of the institute to reach out to faculty across the institution to help them integrate ethical issues into their courses. We hope this will help elevate the ethical awareness of the University community and beyond."

The Rock Ethics Institute will carry out undergraduate and graduate instruction, public outreach and research. Income from the endowment will provide annual support for graduate fellowships, instructional development and undergraduate research opportunities. The institute will also sponsor public programs, lectures, workshops and conferences to draw ethical theorists as well as distinguished leaders in business, government, science and other professions to the University Park campus.

"Doug Rock’s far-sighted generosity will allow us to address a complex set of the most important and pressing issues facing society," noted John Stuhr, head of the Department of Philosophy. "The institute will build on the many strengths of the philosophy department and the college so as to benefit generations of Penn State students in their personal and professional lives, and in their roles within their communities. In a fast-paced information age, it is crucial that Penn State provide its students not simply with knowledge and power but also with wisdom and character. This remarkable gift evidences these very values, creates a margin of genuine excellence, and should serve as a beacon across departments and disciplines, and beyond the campus. We are extremely grateful to Doug Rock for his exceptional gift, his loyal service, and his vision of moral excellence for the University."

Rock is a member of the volunteer committee that is leading the College of the Liberal Arts’ component of Penn State’s Grand Destiny Campaign–an effort to raise $1 billion in private support for the University during the seven-year period ending June 30, 2003. He was named an Alumni Fellow in the college in 1995, the highest award presented by the Penn State Alumni Association.

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