Gift from billionaires is largest single donation ever to an HBCU
Spelman College announced yesterday the receipt of a $100 million historic gift – the largest single donation ever to an HBCU.
The donation is from businesswoman and philanthropist Ronda Stryker and her husband, William Johnston, Chairman of Greenleaf Trust. Stryker is the granddaughter of the founder of Stryker Corp., a medical device company. Her husband, Johnston, is the founder and board chairman of Greenleaf Trust, a wealth management firm in Michigan.
Stryker has been a Spelman College Trustee since 1997. She has worked for decades to empower women through higher education and advance opportunities for additional marginalized groups.
The $100 million comes as Spelman College marks 100 years since its official naming in 1924.
$75 million of the $100 million will go to endowed scholarships for future students, helping Spelman College continue to attract the best and brightest students, while working to remove any financial barriers that prevent qualified students from enrolling at Spelman. The remaining $25 million will be used to develop an academic focus on public policy and democracy, improve student housing and provide flexible funding to meet critical strategic needs.
“We are invigorated and inspired by this incredible act of generosity,” said Dr. Helene Gayle, president of Spelman College, in a statement announcing the gift. “This gift is a critical step in our school’s mission to eliminate financial barriers to starting and finishing a Spelman education. We can’t thank Ronda Stryker enough for her selflessness and support as both a trustee and friend. There’s no doubt that Spelman College is better because of her.”
Spelman is a private liberal arts women’s college. The college has received other significantly large donations in the past, including a $10 million donation last February from Rosemary K. and John W. Brown to support the construction of its Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., Center for Innovation & the Arts, which is scheduled to open this fall.
Stryker said she cares deeply for the sisterhood the college has created and that education is powerful and transformational for women.
“I have seen first-hand the enormous impact financial investment has generated for Spelman’s highly talented students,” Stryker said in a statement shared with news outlets. “It’s important to me that all women be provided an opportunity to explore their talents, challenge their self-doubts and realize the power of achieving individual success.”
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