Gustavus Adolphus College Announces Largest Single Gift in School History

ST. PETER, Minn., Aug. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- An extraordinary $25 million gift, the largest single contribution in the history of Gustavus Adolphus College, will serve as the cornerstone of the $65 million dollar complete renovation and 50 percent expansion planned for Alfred Nobel Hall of Science. This important project will give the College the facilities necessary to prepare students for successful careers in the physical sciences and health careers in the 21st century. The family making this gift — long-time Gustavus supporters and Twin Cities entrepreneurs — wishes to remain anonymous.

"The Nobel Hall of Science has served the college well for 52 years," said President Rebecca Bergman, "but the time has come to upgrade the College's principal science building. This transformational gift will allow the College to continue to provide a world-class undergraduate science education rooted in the liberal arts tradition."

"This generous donor is a family with five Gusties that recognizes the role that sciences play at Gustavus and the critically important role that physical space (classrooms, labs, and group learning spaces) plays in facilitating great teaching, learning, and research," Bergman added.

The historic gift puts an exclamation point on Campaign Gustavus, the College's current $150 million dollar campaign, which will wrap up in late September of this year. The campaign, which is the most successful and significant campaign in the history of the College, is built on three pillars—Opportunity, Teaching and Learning, and Community. 

"At its core, the campaign is about people and active involvement in the future of the College," said Bergman. "It is about people who believe in creating opportunities for engaged teaching and learning in a nurturing community, people who are passionate about Gustavus and its students."

Gustavus prides itself on a commitment to producing strong graduates in the sciences. It emphasizes attracting and supporting an outstanding faculty, small class sizes, engagement with preeminent scholars through the prestigious Nobel Conference and Rydell Scholar programs, and ample opportunities for student-faculty research. In fact, Gustavus was recently ranked third highest in the nation among liberal arts colleges as the baccalaureate origin of physics PhDs.

"We are moved both by the generosity of this special family, and their humble and powerful commitment to Gustavus and its mission of preparing young people for lives of leadership and service," said Vice President for Advancement Tom Young. "The family has shared with me their deep appreciation for the quality of education and meaningful personal relationships their children experienced at Gustavus, and they are honored to be able to give back in a way that will help so many others pursue that same life-changing opportunity."

About Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minn., that prepares 2,500 undergraduate students for lives of leadership, service, and lifelong learning. Gustavus was founded in 1862 and is the oldest Lutheran college in Minnesota. Fully accredited and known for its strong science, writing, music, athletics, study-abroad, and service-learning programs, Gustavus is internationally recognized for its annual Nobel Conference.

SOURCE Gustavus Adolphus College

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