The two largest gifts ever received by Rose-Hulman led to a record $48 million in gifts during the 1999-2000 fiscal year. The previous fiscal year gift record was $13.9 million received during the 1970-71 fiscal year when the college received the assets of the Hulman Foundation from Anton and Mary Hulman.

Last September, the Lilly Endowment announced that Rose-Hulman would receive a $29.7 million gift to establish the Center for an Innovation Economy, recently renamed Rose-Hulman Ventures. The Endowment’s gift is the largest single donation received by the college.

Five months later, 1984 alumnus Mike Hatfield agreed to donate $10 million to construct and endow Larry and Pat Hatfield Hall in honor of his parents. His gift is the largest donated by an individual to Rose-Hulman.

The 40,000-square-foot building will include a new theater for the performing arts, and alumni center. Hatfield’s gift achieves the largest capital improvement goal in Phase II of the campaign.

A $1.5 million gift from 1947 alumnus John White and his wife, Elizabeth, will create the White Chapel. The chapel will seat 200 people and will be located on the west side of campus overlooking the lake. Construction on the chapel is under way.

The Endowment’s announcement came only a few weeks after the launch of Phase II of the Vision to be the Best campaign to double the campaign’s original goal to $200 million. The original goal was surpassed after just five years of the projected 10-year Phase I schedule.

As of June 30, Rose-Hulman has received $167 million in cash and pledges toward the $200 million goal.

"The unprecedented support for Rose-Hulman illustrates the growing reputation we’ve achieved as an educational innovator and leader," stated Rose-Hulman President Samuel Hulbert.

"This financial support enhances our ability to make a difference in our students’ lives. We see it every day on campus and in the successes of our alumni," he said.

The year’s fund-raising success was also aided by a record amount of giving from faculty and staff. Gifts donated or pledged to the second phase of the campaign by employees doubled compared to the strong support received in the campaign’s first phase.

Despite the high level of support, several campaign goals have yet to be achieved.

"The record year has created a level of excitement that will bring attention to the need for additional funds to achieve all our campaign goals," explained Darrell Loyless, vice president for development and external affairs.

Additional gifts are still needed for:

• The endowment

• Increasing financial aid

• Professional development activities

• Equipment to support academic

innovations

• Academic facility renovations

• A life sciences and biomedical

engineering building

• The Annual Fund

• Endowed chairs and professorships

• The Vision Fund

Increasing Rose-Hulman’s endowment and scholarship aid are among campaign priorities.

"Colleges and Universities that have significant endowments will be the institutions that will have greater control over their future," Hulbert emphasized.

A larger endowment would enable the college to increase innovation, continue to balance the operating budget, enhance future financial planning, and provide more scholarship aid to students.

During the recently completed fiscal year, gifts totaling $14 million were added to the college’s endowment.

The unmet financial need of our students that is not covered by loans, scholarships or campus-work programs continues to increase each year, according to Chuck Howard, dean of admissions.

"Our personalized approach to learning makes it expensive to deliver the outstanding engineering and science education our students receive," Howard said. "At the same time, the financial resources available to the families of our students have remained about the same."

Howard cited the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships as a program that has been vital to helping Rose-Hulman recruit Indiana’s best students. The scholarships pay for the students’ tuition for four years. Recipients can use the scholarship to attend any Indiana private or public college or university. Currently, 62 Rose-Hulman students including 27 incoming freshmen, are scholarship recipients.

Scholarship funds received two major boosts during the past several months from multimillion dollar estate gifts. A $1.38 million gift from the estate of 1951 alumnus Charles Yohe increased the Charles and Barbara Hyatt Yohe Scholarship Endowment. At least 10 juniors or seniors will receive the Yohe Scholarship during the next academic year.

A $1.2 million gift was received from the estate of Bernard and Gwendolyn Wernsing. Bernard Wernsing was a former Terre Haute Savings Bank Vice President.

Significant scholarship support was also received from corporations such as Dow Chemical, General Motors, Marathon Oil, National Starch and Chemical, Raytheon and TRW.

Loyless noted the importance of gifts to support the institute’s Annual Fund. "Annual gifts create a ‘living endowment’ that supports the institute’s current operational needs.

"Alumni gifts have been vital to the campaign’s success, and in helping us reach our Annual Fund goal," Loyless stated.

"The percentage of alumni donors ranks Rose-Hulman near the top among the nation’s private undergraduate engineering and science colleges. That’s a statistic we’re very proud of," he noted.