Campaign Milestones
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Thanks to a $3M gift, which was made before the campaign’s public launch and matched by $3M in discretionary funds authorized by President Daniels, Purdue’s College of Liberal Arts increases the number of endowed chairs in the history department from one to three.
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President Daniels announces Ever True: The Campaign for Purdue University, which will focus fundraising efforts across three priorities: “Place Students First,” “Build on Our Strengths,” and “Champion Research and Innovation.” The goal is $2.019B raised by 2019, the 150th anniversary year of Purdue’s founding and the 50th anniversary year of alumnus Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon.
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To celebrate Ever True raising $1B toward its $2.019B goal, the bell tower—a symbol of the campaign—is lit in gold for one week.
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Purdue researchers become the first in the world to determine the Zika virus's structure. The University's $250M investment in the life sciences, made possible in part by the Ever True campaign, funded the purchase of advanced equipment.
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The Indiana Corn and Soybean Innovation Center is dedicated. Thanks to a combined investment by the Indiana Soybean Alliance, the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, and Purdue, the center is advancing revolutionary new technologies in food security as the world population grows to nine billion by 2050.
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The Purdue “All-American” Marching Band performs “The Power of the Dream,” the campaign’s theme song, during Homecoming.
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Purdue’s School of Chemical Engineering is renamed the Charles D. Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, honoring Chuck Davidson (BSChE ’72) and his wife, Nancy, who gave a transformational gift of $20M. The school is using the gift to help recruit and retain top-tier faculty, initiate new teaching and research programs, support graduate students, and update research instrumentation.
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The 17,000-square-foot hospital, located in Shelbyville, Indiana, is a satellite facility of Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine. It is staffed by a team of specialists who work with horse owners and trainers to provide diagnostic tests and therapeutics. Centaur Gaming, which owns Indiana Grand Racing and Casino, pledged $3.1M to name the hospital.
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Purdue Polytechnic High School, a first-of-its-kind partnership between the University and the city of Indianapolis, welcomes 159 students to its first-ever ninth-grade class. The XQ Institute selected the STEM-focused charter high school to receive $2.5M. The high school also received a $1.25M grant from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation.
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The Wilmeth Active Learning Center, whose name honors brothers and Purdue alumni Thomas S. and Harvey D. Wilmeth, opens as a new centerpiece in the heart of campus. It’s a daily destination for thousands of students, and combines library and classroom space for a seamless, active learning experience. After hours, the entire center becomes one big study area.
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JeanAnne and Jim Chaney’s $8M gift to Pharmacy—targeted to scholarships and a potential new facility for the college—means a more affordable education for hundreds of bright students and, longer term, an enhanced environment in which to learn.
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With a $10M gift, Dick Buell establishes the L. Dick Buell Endowed Head Men’s Basketball Coaching position, held by Matt Painter.
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Bruce and Beth White, along with the Dean and Barbara White Foundation, give $30M to transform the Union Club Hotel in the Purdue Memorial Union into a world-class establishment. The renovated hotel will provide a learning environment that offers training and internship opportunities for students.
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Samuel Allen, chairman and chief executive officer of Deere & Co., makes a $5M gift to name the deanship and provide resources for strategic initiatives within Purdue’s business school. The position is now known as the Dr. Samuel R. Allen Dean of the Krannert School of Management.
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In its sixth year, Purdue Day of Giving raises $41.6M, sets the fifth straight record for a 24-hour higher education fundraising campaign, and reaches a cumulative total of $146.9M in gifts. In 2019, donors make 21,420 gifts from 60 countries in one day.
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Ever True is officially the largest fundraising initiative in the University’s history. The campaign, launched in 2012 and publicly announced in 2015, generates $2.529B as of June 30, 25% over its $2.019B goal.
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The success and lasting impact of Ever True: The Campaign for Purdue University is celebrated during the President’s Council Annual Dinner. Thank you to our 209,551 donors—we’re ever grateful that you’re ever true!
“The Power of the Dream”
During the launch of Ever True, Purdue Musical Organizations performed “The Power of the Dream,” the theme song for the campaign.