Penn State Intercom......July 26 , 2001

$7 million gift puts
campaign over $1 billion mark

By Laura Stocker
University Relations

A $7 million gift from alumni J. Lloyd and Dorothy Foehr Huck has put The Grand Destiny Campaign over its original goal of $1 billion, Campaign Chair James S. Broadhurst told the Board of Trustees on July 17.

The Hucks' gift will support scholarships in the Schreyer Honors College, a dean's discretionary fund in the College of Medicine and construction of the new Life Sciences Building at the University Park campus. This most recent gift, their second major commitment since the beginning of the Grand Destiny campaign in 1996, brings their total philanthropic support to the University to $21.5 million.

In May, the Board of Trustees, responding to the need for more resources for students, faculty and programs, voted to increase the campaign goal to $1.3 billion.

"The Hucks' generosity helps continue the campaign's momentum as we begin the final two years of our fund-raising effort," said Broadhurst. "A number of donors, like Lloyd and Dottie, having seen the good stewardship and positive impact of their previous gifts, are making another commitment to some of the campaign's new initiatives."

Lloyd Huck is retired chairman of the board of the pharmaceutical firm of Merck & Co., and served as a Penn State trustee from 1977 to 1992, including three years as president of the board. Dorothy Huck has held volunteer leadership positions with the University Libraries and the College of Health and Human Development. The Hucks, of Morristown, N.J., are graduates of Penn State's class of 1943.

The Hucks have a long history of supporting Penn State. Since 1988, they have endowed four faculty chairs in medicine, health and human development, science and the libraries; elevated a professorship in medicine to a chair; supported construction of Wartik Laboratory in the Eberly College of Science; created a biotechnology innovation fund, a University Libraries acquisitions fund and funds to support faculty chair activities; created student scholarships in science, health and human development, and medicine; and created a graduate fellowships fund for all fields.

The Hucks designated their new gift as follows:

* $2.5 million for the J. Lloyd and Dorothy Foehr Huck Honors Scholarships in the Schreyer Honors College, to recruit academically talented students.

* $2.5 million to establish the J. Lloyd and Dorothy Foehr Huck Dean's Discretionary Fund, to be used at the discretion of the dean of the College of Medicine at The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, in order to advance the biomedical sciences and their ultimate application to healing.

* $2 million to support the construction of the Life Sciences Building between Eisenhower Auditorium and the Joab Thomas Building on the University Park campus.

Lloyd Huck serves on the steering committee of The Grand Destiny Campaign, and Dorothy Huck serves on the campaign committee in the College of Health and Human Development.  

Laura Stocker can be reached at lstocker@psu.edu

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