 | | | | Fundraising Passes First BenchmarkPhase I of fundraising for the renovation of Weatherford Residential College and the launch of the Austin Entrepreneurship Program is complete. Donors with a love for the innovative program or the historic residence hall have made pledges and gifts totaling $5.3 million.
Among those who stepped up to the plate in recent months are:
- Hawkin Au, '51, a former Weatherford resident who is the 'unofficial' leader of the 'Weatherford Warriors.' Au named his old room.
- Hank Bauer, '50, chair of the OSU Foundation Trustees, is working with classmates Marilyn Melson Stevenson and Craig McMicken to raise a class gift to name a room in Weatherford.
- Larry Hawley Brown, '58, who named the tower library in honor of his grandfather's family, also named five double rooms, one for each of the Oregon Staters in his family, including one in memory of his brother Gary, '63.
- The State Farm Companies Foundation donated $75,000 to name one of two Executive Suites for visiting entrepreneurs.
- Trysting Tree Golf Course used some of its proceeds to name the Entrepreneurship Conference Room on the first floor.
- Dick, '69 and Carol Palmer, Corvallis residents and avid bicyclists, named the bicycle room.
- Duane McDougall, '74 named a case room and convinced his business colleague, Ken Thrasher, '71, to name the other. Their company David Evans & Associates, along with executives led by Ken Wightman, '68, named the four offices between case rooms.
- Up-and-coming start-up Unicru named three rooms on the fourth floor, which will be coveted for??? the program's academy-level students.
- Five donors increased their donations to name double rooms. Janet Redmond, '85, led the way naming a room in honor of her father, Wenton Redmond, '50, who lived at Weatherford.
"Alumni of all ages-and those in the greater community-are really interested in this program and what it will mean for the future of OSU and the Oregon economy," said Lori Cloninger Sweeney, director of development for the College of Business. "Now we are setting our sights on raising the funds to sustain the program into the future."
Phase II fundraising aims to make the Austin Entrepreneurship Program self-sustaining through annual fundraising, grants, and endowments. Donors can still name rooms in Weatherford and, if they make a commitment by August 1, will be invited to stay in their rooms overnight during a celebratory weekend September 17-18. For more information, contact Lori Sweeney at 503-553-3405 or lori.sweeney@oregonstate.edu. |
