Western Announces $2 Million Commitment
For The Sciences, Celebrates $102 Million
Campaign Victory

September 18, 2003

Bowling Green, Ky. - A $2 million legacy commitment from Dr. William M. McCormack will fund one of the most important priorities of Western Kentucky University's "Investing in the Spirit" Campaign. The commitment, made in June 2003, officially moved the Campaign above the $100 million mark, and the final Campaign total now stands at $102 million.

According to Tom Hiles, WKU's vice president for Institutional Advancement, Dr. McCormack, a 1957 alumnus, and his wife, Ann, have made a commitment to establish two endowed professorships in the Ogden College of Science and Engineering. The new professorships will support WKU's physics and biotechnology programs.

"This gift solidifies one of the Campaign's most important goals of creating new endowed professorships to support a variety of academic disciplines," Hiles said. "The McCormacks are focused on promoting academic excellence, and this gift will strongly promote quality for generations to come. We are extremely grateful."

Hiles added that this new commitment was made in addition to the McCormacks' 2000 gift to establish an endowed professorship in the sciences and the Kentucky Academy of Mathematics and Science.

Dr. McCormack said he is pleased to provide this support for Western.

"I feel that education is the single most important aspect of your life in terms of maturity and growth," he said. "The more we contribute to allowing young people to go to school and learn, the better our state and country can progress and face the problems of today."

Dr. McCormack's family has had a close association with Western for many years, including an uncle who served on WKU's Board of Regents and is the namesake of McCormack Hall, one of Western's residence halls.

"It is truly fitting that this gift was the one that brought the Campaign above the $100 million level," WKU President Gary Ransdell said. "Throughout the course of the Campaign, a total of 27 new professorships have been established and have been added to the University's endowment. These funds will be permanent, providing lasting spending power for academic priorities, such as those funded by the McCormacks."

"The 'Investing in the Spirit' Campaign has been about more than just dollars raised," Dr. Ransdell said. "Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers, the Campaign will have a lasting legacy on our campus."

During the past five years, Western has:

• Increased annual cash deposits from $3 million to more than $12 million
  
• Funded 27 new endowed professorships in a number of important academic disciplines, ranging from engineering, to business, to music
• Matched all $12 million of available funding through the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Regional University Excellence Trust Fund, or "Bucks for Brains" money
• Raised $29 million for new endowed scholarships in the WKU Foundation and the College Heights Foundation
• More than doubled the overall endowment from $24 million to $54 million
• Increased membership in the President's Circle by 282 percent, from 376 members in 1998 to 1,438 members in 2003. The President's Circle recognizes donors who annually contribute $1,000 or more to WKU

"With continued support and an increased endowment, Western will have the ability to attract and retain quality faculty and students," Hiles said. "We are indeed meeting President Ransdell's challenge to be 'the best comprehensive public institution in Kentucky and among the best in the nation.' "

Dr. Ransdell added: "In 1998, a journey started to transform Western through the "Investing in the Spirit" Campaign. Thousands of individuals have responded generously. Each gift has strengthened the Western experience and Western's pursuit of national prominence. Each donor has made a lasting impact on current and future generations of Western students. To each person who has invested in the spirit, we say thank you."

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The "Investing in the Spirit" Campaign focused on people, places and programs with specific goals set in each area. The following is a report on those goals:

	Goal	Actual
People
Student Scholarships, fellowships, and awards	$17,000,000	$30,466,533
International education endowment for students	....1,000,000	........900,000
Endowed faculty positions	..20,000,000	...20,332,276
Visiting scholars endowment	....2,000,000	.....2,188,209
Faculty excellence endowments and funds	....3,000,000	.....1,534,196
	43,000,000	55,421,214
Places
Main campus facilities	....2,500,000	....6,943,092
Extended campus facilities	....1,000,000	.......725,104
Campus beautification	....1,000,000	.......728,103
	4,500,000	8,396,299
Programs
Academic program endowments	....5,000,000	....7,395,594
Gifted Studies	....2,000,000	....1,705,920
University Libraries	....1,000,000	.......832,082
Kentucky Museum	....1,000,000	.......697,893
Public Broadcasting	....1,000,000	....1,951,499
Student Life	....1,000,000	....1,175,000
Cultural enhancement	....1,000,000	.......172,500
Instructional technology	....1,000,000	.......249,500
Athletics	....5,000,000	....11,988,395
	18,500,000	26,168,383
Other	2,000,000	2,257,173
Annual Giving
Restricted and unrestricted support	10,000,000	9,921,213
Campaign Total	$78,000,000	$102,164,282

For more information, contact Tom Hiles at (270) 745-6208. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

-WKU-