After receiving $13.3 million last month, Ohio University's College of Education announced yesterday another multi-million dollar gift from the same donor.
Violet L. Patton, a 93-year-old alumna, gave the college an additional $28 million, the largest gift to a college of education in Ohio.
That number also ranks among the top in the nation for gifts to college education programs, said Jennifer Bowie, director of development for University Advancement. In her research, Bowie said she could only find one gift larger than Patton's - a $50 million donation to Arizona State University in 2006.
The gift puts Patton - who graduated in 1938 - among the top six donors of all time to OU, at par with the Russ and Stocker families as well as the Scripps Howard Foundation, Bowie said.
Rarely does anybody talk about (the college of) education
OU President Roderick McDavis said. Let me assure you folks are going to talk about education.
The funds will not be available for immediate use, however.
This is an irrevocable request from Ms. Patton which unfortunately means we will receive the money when she passes away
said Howard Lipman, vice president for University Advancement.
Patton's funds put this year's fundraising total at $46 million, $24 million more than the year's fiscal goal, Lipman said.
He said he and McDavis had courted Patton since July.
This was no slam dunk; this was hard work from the standpoint of a lot of people
Lipman said.
In addition, the college will be renamed the Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education in honor of Patton's parents, pending the approval of the Board of Trustees, McDavis said.
When a college is named
it is a recognition that it's not only fulfilled the promise of its founding
but that it's ready to greater heights
said Pam Benoit, OU's executive vice president and provost.
McCracken Hall, which houses the college, will retain its name, and a portion of Patton's donation will go toward renovating the hall, said Renee Middleton, dean of the College of Education.
OU already requested $15.9 million from the state for a two-phase capital improvement plan: $4.4 million for 2013-14 and $11.5 million for 2015-16, she said. These requests will not change with the addition of Patton's donation.
Her gift is just to supplement what our university and state responsibilities are to addressing these buildings
Middleton said. What I would hope is that the larger portion of her funds would be used toward professorships
student scholarships
those kinds of things that will directly impact academic programs.
A building maintenance and endowment will be established so that McCracken Hall, the home of the Patton College, will always be sustained at the highest academic and technological standards, she said.
She said the building has suffered from electrical
