7/12/07
Contact:
Mike Clardy, (334) 844-9999 (clardch@auburn.edu),
or
Deedie Dowdle, (334) 844-9999 (ddowdle@auburn.edu)
AUBURN
UNIVERSITY EXCEEDS CAMPAIGN GOAL NINE MONTHS EARLY
AUBURN - Auburn
University has surpassed its $500 million “It Begins at Auburn” Campaign
goal with a $5 million gift from Raymond and Kathryn Harbert of Birmingham. The
gift brings the campaign total to $504,657,718, the largest amount of private
dollars ever raised in the state of Alabama.
Though this milestone has
been reached, the campaign will continue until its previously announced conclusion
date of March 31, 2008.
“We are accomplishing our goal through the
help of the entire Auburn family,” said AU President Ed Richardson. “This
campaign will help fund countless scholarships and bring more nationally recognized
faculty to Auburn University. Its positive impact on Alabama is significant and
will be felt for many years.”
Auburn’s campaign has raised more
than twice the amount of AU’s “Next Generation” effort in the 1990s.
The “It Begins at Auburn” Campaign provides funding for all AU colleges
and schools as well as the AU libraries and museums, athletics and Auburn University
Montgomery. Endowments for student scholarships, faculty and programs make up
the remainder of the campaign's goal. In addition to endowments, the campaign’s
focus includes facilities and equipment, campus beautification, research and current
operations.
“The continuing success of the campaign is due to the
well-organized and executed effort of the employees and volunteers who worked
on it,” said Sam Ginn, campaign co-chair. “This achievement says a tremendous
amount about the value Auburn University supporters place on a sound educational
system.
“The funds being raised in this effort will have a lasting
impact on the university and Alabama's higher education system,” Ginn added.
“However, Auburn University’s endowment is not sufficient to meet its
long-term strategic goals. For this reason it is important we do not lose focus
during these last nine months of the campaign and in future fundraising efforts.”
Campaign Co-Chair Sally Jones Hill said exceeding the goal nine months ahead
of schedule underscores the Auburn family’s strong commitment and support
of the university.
“The campaign’s success would not be possible
without the efforts of many people. Although we have surpassed our overall goal,
there are still many areas, such as scholarships, that could use additional funding,”
Hill said. “Reaching our goal is a milestone, but it’s not the finish
line.”
The Harberts’ gift is not only significant in reaching
the campaign’s goal, but it is also the largest single gift ever made to
AU’s College of Business. The multi-million dollar gift will provide unrestricted
dollars to support the construction of an investment center in the Lowder Business
Building - the only one in Alabama, and one of only three among southeastern conference
schools - which will enable students to experience “real world” investing.
The gift will also provide an endowment to support on-going maintenance and operations
of the center and an endowment funding an eminent scholar chair.
###
For more news about Auburn University, visit http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/.
In depth reporting, including multimedia features and downloadable photographs
for media use, can be found at http://www.ocm.auburn.edu/newsmakers/.
Auburn University is a top-50 ranked public university that has provided instruction, research and outreach to benefit the state and nation for more than 150 years. A more than $4 billion economic impact on the state - including more than $2.4 billion in providing jobs and people resources - demonstrates AU’s commitment to this mission. AU has more than 214,000 alumni, and provides 130 degree options to nearly 23,500 graduate and undergraduate students.
july07:AU-harbertgift