Choate Rosemary Hall Exceeds $200 Million Capital Campaign Goal

NEW YORK, April 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Choate Rosemary Hall, an independent boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, will announce that it has surpassed its $200 million capital campaign goal in support of identified school priorities at a gala celebration on April 29 at the New York headquarters of The Council on Foreign Relations.

The School launched its capital campaign, called An Opportunity to Lead, in November 2006, and has received new pledges and commitments totaling more than $215 million, beyond its anticipated $200 million goal. An Opportunity to Lead is the largest capital campaign in the history of Choate Rosemary Hall, and among the largest-ever in Connecticut secondary school history. The school's 2000 campaign raised $135 million.

On hand to celebrate the achievement:

Former U. S. Ambassador to Belgium Bruce S. Gelb '45, National Campaign Chair and retired Vice Chair of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, and former Chairman of the Choate Rosemary Hall Board of Trustees.  

Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. '57, Chairman and CEO of Wisconsin-based Kohler Company, and Chairman of the School's Board of Trustees. Mr. Kohler's lead gift of $20 million to the campaign is directed toward development of the School's new Kohler Environmental Center, offering an interdisciplinary academic program with a focus on the environment. Its groundbreaking was earlier this month. The Center is scheduled for completion in 2012.

Choate Rosemary Hall Headmaster Edward J. Shanahan. Since 1991, Dr. Shanahan has overseen two fundraising campaigns that, combined, have raised more than $350 million for capital projects and endowment. A former dean of Dartmouth College, Dr. Shanahan is a Past President of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

At the celebration, Dr. Shanahan noted, "Choate Rosemary Hall is a transformative force in the lives of its students. Nearly 11,000 alumni, parents, students, faculty members, and friends of the School made contributions to this campaign during difficult financial times, and as a result of this extraordinary success, Choate has been given an opportunity to become even stronger and more distinctive in the years ahead."

Campaign funds will support new endowments dedicated to student financial aid, faculty development and the enhancement of academic programs. It also funded the construction of two new dormitories, new faculty housing, a new outdoor track complex, a new turf field with lights and stadium seating, and contributed to the restoration and renovation of several buildings on campus.

SOURCE Choate Rosemary Hall