Fall 2002

Fund Drive Continues to June 2004


Vision To Be The Best Campaign Exceeds Goal

The Vision to be the Best campaign continues to set fund-raising records. The campaign’s first goal of $100 million was surpassed in 1999, five years ahead of schedule. At that time, the goal was increased to $200 million with a completion date of June 2004. Now, that goal has been surpassed 22 months ahead of schedule.

"Even though the goal has been exceeded, the fund-raising drive will continue until the 2004 completion date because some specific campaign goals have not been achieved," stated Rose-Hulman President Samuel Hulbert.

"Gifts often are restricted and are used for the purpose stated by the donor," Hulbert stated. "Those donations are always for something we need, however, they may not be for a specific campaign priority."

"The unprecedented level of financial support is certainly a strong vote of confidence in the goals that the campaign has set out to achieve," Hulbert said.

The campaign total includes gifts received, commitments and pledges.
 

DONATIONS ARE STILL NEEDED TO:

• Increase professional development opportunities for faculty, and to endow faculty chairs to retain and recruit the best teachers;
   

• Support curricular innovations such as the new microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) program;
   

• Increase scholarship aid; and
   

• Construct a new building for applied biology, biomedical engineering and chemistry programs.

"If Rose-Hulman is going to retain its reputation as being the best, I believe we must be a leader in the life sciences as we are in the physical sciences," Hulbert said. "The important role of the physical sciences in the 20th century will be exceeded by the life sciences and biomedical engineering in this century," he says.

"We need to ensure that we provide our faculty and students with the best educational facilities possible," Hulbert emphasized. "We also continue to seek more scholarship funds. Providing a scholarship to a deserving student is an investment in the future," he noted.

"Support to the campaign has been remarkable, especially when the national economic climate is taken into consideration," he said.

Alumni Giving Percentage Among Nation’s Best

During the 2001-2002 fiscal year, Rose-Hulman received gifts from 44 percent of its alumni, ranking the college in the top three percent of the 960 colleges and universities that report their annual alumni-giving data to the Council for Aid to Education.

The alumni-giving percentage also ranks Rose-Hulman first among the 18 private colleges and universities that are members of the Association of Independent Technological Universities. The group includes schools ranging from MIT and California Institute of Technology to Case Western Reserve and Clarkson universities.

Clyde Willian, chairman of the Rose-Hulman Board of Trustees, said the record-setting support to Rose-Hulman illustrates the confidence and reputation Rose-Hulman has earned nationwide.

"This is a truly remarkable achievement," he said about the record-setting $202 million total. "The success of the campaign is a strong indication of the high level of confidence that so many individuals and organizations have in this institution.

"On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank all the donors, Dr. Hulbert and his staff for their leadership and diligent efforts." he said.

Achievements During Phase II of the Campaign

• Funds to expand educational opportunities through the development of unique programs, notably the $29.7 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to create Rose-Hulman Ventures. It is the largest grant ever received by the college.
   

• A $14 million gift from 1984 alumnus Mike Hatfield to create Hatfield Hall, a new theater and rehearsal rooms for student drama and music groups, and new administrative offices.
   

• Increased scholarship aid provided by gifts from alumni, corporations, foundations and individuals. Among the corporations providing scholarship support have been General Motors, Texas Instruments, Cummins and Marathon Oil. Scholarship gifts from individuals included a $1.3 million gift from the estate of alumnus Charles Yohe, and a $1.2 million donation from the late Bernard and Gwendolyn Wernsing of Terre Haute.
   

• A $1.5 million lead gift from the family of John and Elizabeth White for construction of White Chapel. John was a 1947 mechanical engineering graduate.
   

• Funds to increase academic programs in applied biology, biomedical engineering and the life sciences. Donors included the Guidant Foundation, a gift from Guidant CEO Ron Dollens, and a donation from Eli Lilly and Co.
   

• Grants to help improve math and science education in Indiana schools that will result in more students pursuing college degrees in engineering and scientific disciplines. Lilly Endowment grants are expanding the Homework Hotline to the entire state, and making it possible for Rose-Hulman to create a new web portal so teachers can more easily use Internet resources to teach math and science.
   

• A $400,000 Keck Foundation grant has launched a program to teach microelectrical mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The grant is also funding the creation of a MEMS lab.
   

• A grant from the Caterpillar Foundation created a studio lab environment in electrical and computer engineering.
   

• Funding from the Lilly Endowment to create Engenius Solutions has developed a web-based project to improve the chances that technical innovations developed by Rose-Hulman students will make it to the marketplace.