$5 Million Alumni Association Gift Supports
Student, Faculty And Building Projects

11-21-97
University Park, Pa.-The Penn State Alumni Association has made a $5 million gift to the University to expand educational opportunities for students, recognize excellence in teaching and support construction of the planned All-Sports Hall of Fame and a new alumni center.

Of the total gift, $2 million benefits academic programs; $2 million, the hall of fame; and $1 million, the alumni center.

"This extraordinary gift will enrich our efforts to connect Penn Staters of the past, present and future to the academic life of the University, as well as to its important traditions of competition and service," said President Graham Spanier. "We are extremely fortunate to have an alumni association that demonstrates its care for all of these facets of our work in such a thoughtful manner. And we cannot forget that such generosity on the part of the association is inspired by, and exemplifies, the kind of commitment to bettering Penn State long demonstrated by our individual alumni."

From the academic portion of the gift, $1 million endows 10 to 15 annual, merit-based fellowships for graduate students in any department at University Park campus, Penn State Great Valley and Penn State Capital College. Fellowships strengthen the University's ability to attract gifted graduate students to its more than 150 fields of master's and doctoral degree study.

The association also designated $500,000 to endow up to 16 annual undergraduate awards of $1,500 each for study abroad. Penn State has set a goal for 20 percent of its baccalaureate students to participate in international studies and experiences during their academic career.

Another $500,000 endowment supports an annual teaching fellow award of $25,000 for a faculty member at any campus or college other than University Park campus. Established jointly by the Alumni Association, the Undergraduate Student Government and the Graduate Student Association, the award honors distinguished teaching and allows recipients to share their talents and expertise with others throughout the University system.

"With this gift of $2 million for academics, made on behalf of all members of the Penn State Alumni Association, we want to applaud and support the accomplishments of fine students and faculty in the Commonwealth College locations, the special mission campuses and across the entire Penn State system," said Anne Riley, of State College, president of the Alumni Association.

"Furthermore, we know that even in many of the most promising fields of research, our brightest graduate students are in particular need of new support," she added, "so it's with special pleasure that we create those fellowships to stand side-by-side with our ongoing aid to undergraduates."

Existing association support for undergraduates includes the Alumni Memorial Scholars program, which dates back to 1954 and rewards excellence in high school academic performance regardless of financial need. The endowment for these scholarships assisted seven undergraduates this year. Another endowment, for the Ridge Riley Scholarship, began in 1976. It assisted four undergraduates this year.

In 1988, the association endowed additional Alumni Association Undergraduate Scholarships through part of a $1 million pledge to The Campaign for Penn State. Seventeen undergraduates received aid from this endowment this year. Other portions of that $1 million gift endowed the association's first teaching fellow award and graduate fellowships.

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.

"The funds for this latest association gift of $5 million come entirely from profits through our entrepreneurial programs, including the MBNA America MasterCard and Alumni Tours that we offer, and various licensing arrangements with firms making products of interest to our members," said Diane Ryan, executive director of the Alumni Association. "Membership fees were not used at all in making the gift."

The All-Sports Hall of Fame will provide a common area at University Park campus to showcase the accomplishments of the University's student-athletes. The Alumni Association gift adds to financial support for the project from many former Penn State student-athletes and other private sources. No public revenues, University funds, tuition moneys, or student activity fees will pay for the construction. The building will be located between Beaver Stadium and the Bryce Jordan Center. No construction date has been set.

The alumni center, meanwhile, is planned as an addition to University House on University Park campus, and also will be financed entirely by private funds. Although Penn State has the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world-nearly 140,000 members-it is one of the few major universities that has no dedicated alumni center. The center will serve as a gathering point for returning alumni and offer information about the University's academic achievements, campus tours and special events. It will contain meeting rooms and space for alumni association staff. The structure's estimated cost is $7 million. Linda O'Gwynn Architects of Philadelphia will design the center, and construction could begin as early as 1998.

Past gifts from the Alumni Association have also aided facilities with tremendous impact on the daily lives of Penn State students. The University Libraries, the new Hetzel Union Building/Paul Robeson Cultural Center Complex and the Bryce Jordan Center received a total of $1.9 million in support from association pledges beginning in 1992.

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