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The Campaign Leadership
From left, university President Alan G. Merten, campaign Chair Sidney O. Dewberry,
Rector Edwin Meese III, and university foundation Chair Lovey L. Hammel, '88.
More on the Campaign Leadership
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George Mason Launches First Fundraising Campaign, Sets Goal at $110 Million
Embracing its vision for innovation in education and its integral role within
this region, George Mason University formally launched its first comprehensive
fundraising campaign - an initiative that seeks to raise a minimum of $110 million
in private support by June 2005.
The Campaign for George Mason University was announced by university
President Alan G. Merten at a kick-off dinner for major donors and community leaders
on Saturday, April 6.
"Through the power of private support, we will help turn aspirations into
realities and expand a philanthropic tradition that will benefit faculty, staff,
students, alumni, and the region for years to come," said Merten. "George Mason
is at a crossroads of unprecedented opportunity. It has the quality, vitality,
and confidence of purpose to realize the dream of building a great university."
According to Merten, the $110 million goal is built upon the needs of the
university's various academic units and disciplines. Funding priorities include
faculty endowment, faculty research and project support, student scholarships
and services, facilities support, community outreach, and unrestricted support.
The campaign's launch brings public recognition to an intensive effort that
began several years ago with planning and leadership support. To date, $78 million
has been raised through gifts and pledges from individuals, corporations, foundations,
and other organizations.
Sidney O. Dewberry, chairman of The Dewberry Companies, is campaign chair.
Dewberry also serves as a member of the university's Board of Visitors and as
a George Mason University Foundation trustee. As campaign chair, he leads a 21-member
committee comprised of community volunteers, alumni, and university representatives.
"Through our concerted efforts, we will capitalize on the momentum to advance
George Mason's vision for excellence," Dewberry said. "We have all the ingredients
in the region necessary to accomplish this - bright students, outstanding teachers
and scholars, dedicated alumni, and a committed community. Together, we will ensure
success."
Merten noted that early gifts received during the quiet, or planning, phase
of the campaign have already started making a positive difference at the university.
These gifts, he said, "have significantly expanded George Mason's ability to serve
its students and our region."
Examples of these early contributions include the following:
- A $3.2 million gift by Arthur and Elizabeth Kellar that enabled the expansion
of special education programs for children and adults at the university's Helen
A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities and funded graduate fellowships, a
distinguished professorship, and various research initiatives within the Graduate
School of Education
- A $3 million grant from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation that assisted
in the recruitment of seven distinguished economic professors from the University
of Arizona
- A $6.7 million donation of property and funds by Edwin and Helen Lynch that
is facilitating the development of an international retreat and conference center
at Mason Neck, Virginia
- Computer software, valued at $3.3 million, from Oracle Corporation, Great
Plains Software Inc., SAP America Inc., and others
- To date, millions in support to establish 44 endowed scholarship funds
- A $350,000 corporate gift to help fund the state-of-the-art Verizon Auditorium
on the Prince William Campus
Joining Merten and Dewberry as hosts of the campaign kickoff event were Edwin
Meese III, Ronald Reagan Fellow in Public Policy, The Heritage Foundation, and
rector, George Mason's Board of Visitors; and Lovey L. Hammel, '88, president,
Employment Enterprises Inc., and chair, George Mason University Foundation.
The campaign launch coincided with the 30th anniversary of George Mason as
an independent university.
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