University of Delaware Lands 3 Gifts Totaling $45 Million

A roundup of notable gifts compiled by The Chronicle:

University of Delaware

The institution received several large donations last week. Carol Ammon and Marie Pinizzotto together gave $25 million for a new building, which will be named for them. Ms. Ammon is a retired chief executive of Endo Pharmaceuticals and serves on the university’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Pinizzotto is a physician who earned an MBA at the university in 2008 and went on to work for pharmaceutical companies.

Stuart and Suzanne Grant donated $10 million to establish the Stuart M. and Suzanne B. Grant Graduate College Fund. Mr. Grant is co-founder of the law firm Grant & Eisenhofer, and Ms. Grant retired from a career in finance.

Ken and Liz Whitney gave a $10 million to the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Services. Mr. Whitney retired from Blackstone, an investment firm, in 2013 and went on to produce the Broadway musical Fun Home. He graduated from the Lerner College of Business and Economics in 1980 and has served on the UD Board of Trustees since 2007. Ms. Whitney is a former actress.

Gustavus Adolphus College

An anonymous alumni couple donated $25 million through a donor-advised fund to endow the career-development office, scholarships, and university projects.

Of the total, $10 million will endow the Gustavus Center for Career Development and support student vocation and career-readiness programs, $10 million will endow scholarships and other financial aid, and $5 million will pay for renovations to Nobel Hall of Science and athletics facilities.

This is the second large anonymous donation the college has received in recent months. In July, an anonymous alumni couple gave $40 million for scholarships and Nobel Hall renovations.

University of Notre Dame

Jay and Mary Flaherty gave $25 million for a building project and to benefit the religious order that helped found the university.

Of the total, $20 million will go toward renovating and maintaining Corby Hall, a campus residence hall for the Congregation of Holy Cross religious community of priests and brothers. The remaining $5 million will support services for aging clergy.

Mr. Flahery is a former chairman and chief executive officer of HCP, a real-estate investment trust company. He graduated from Notre Dame in 1979 and has been a member of the University’s Board of Trustees since 2007.

Albright-Knox Gallery

Billionaire art collector Jeffrey Gundlach gave $10 million for the museum’s campus expansion project. He donated $42.5 million to the project last year, landing the No. 34 spot on The Chronicle’s annual Philanthropy 50 list of the most generous donors.

Mr. Gundlach founded the Los Angeles investment firm, DoubleLine Capital. He grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., where the museum is located, and has credited the institution with stoking his lifelong interest in art.

Associated Alumni of the Central High School of Philadelphia

Joseph Field donated $10 million to back the public high school’s campus expansion project and for a performing-arts center, which will be named for him.

Mr. Field founded Entercom Communications, a radio broadcasting company that recently acquired CBS Corporation’s CBS Radio arm. He graduated from the high school in 1949.

Wayne State University

Mort Harris pledged $10 million to support Wayne Med-Direct, a scholarship and recruiting program for students from low-income backgrounds who are interested in studying health disparities.

Wayne Med-Direct students participate in research and field programs with faculty mentors, attend summer enrichment courses, academic conferences, seminars, workshops, and hands-on clinical training in the School of Medicine.

Mr. Harris attended the university in the 1940s leaving during World War II to join the U.S. Air Force, where he became a decorated wartime pilot. He went on to help found American Axle & Manufacturing and was recently inducted into France’s National Order of the Legion of Honor.

Intermountain Foundation at Logan Regional Hospital

Richard and Jane Spillman gave $5 million to endow patient care at the Gossner Cancer Center.

The money will endow oncology clinical-support services, including several nursing positions, a dietitian, a social worker, and an administrator to help patients and their families navigate the financial side of their hospital care.

The couple founded Spillman Technologies, which develops software that public-safety agencies use to track 9-1-1 calls, map emergency situations, and trace dispatched units in real time. In 2016 the family sold the business to Motorola Solutions.

To learn about other big donations, see our database of gifts of $1 million or more, which is updated throughout the week.