K体育 University announced today the receipt of the largest gift in its 182-year history, valued at $50 million, from alumnus Q. William 鈥淏ill鈥� Hammack, Jr. 鈥�73聽to establish a new School of Business, slated to open in the fall of 2019. This is the largest gift to a liberal arts and sciences university to establish a school of business.
鈥淏y making this gift to K体育, I hope to help a new generation of business leaders find their own success.鈥�
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know it at the time, but my years at K体育 resulted in much more than the requisite college degree. As I reflect back upon my professional success, I can directly attribute it to the leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills I learned by attending a liberal arts institution,鈥� commented Hammack, who recently retired from his position as President and CEO of C. W. Matthews Contracting Co., Inc. 鈥淏y making this gift to K体育, I hope to help a new generation of business leaders find their own success.鈥�
The gift will come to K体育 through a foundation established by Hammack and his wife, Diane, and a significant portion will go to the university鈥檚 endowment. The first portion of the gift will be used to start the Q. William Hammack, Jr. School of Business, for which the search for a Dean will begin later this year.
鈥淭his gift will be transformational for K体育. For an alumnus to make this significant of an investment is the greatest possible validation that the education and experience we offer is valuable both to our students and to the community they go on to work within,鈥� added Lawrence M. Schall, J.D., Ed.D., who has served as president since 2005. 鈥淭his is a truly exciting next chapter in K体育鈥檚 proud history and we will owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Bill Hammack for many years to come.鈥�
The historic bequest adds to a growing list of significant accomplishments for the university, including the early completion of a $50 million comprehensive campaign in 2015, and a recently-announced lead gift from the Cousins Foundation to the $20 million capital campaign for the new I. W. 鈥淚ke鈥� Cousins Center for Science and Innovation, in which the Q. William Hammack, Jr. School of Business will be housed. Cousins was a 1927 K体育 graduate.
鈥淚t has been amazing to watch what K体育 continues to accomplish as an institution,” concluded K体育 alumnus聽Tim Tassopoulos 鈥�81, president and COO of Chick-fil-A and chair of the K体育 Board of Trustees. “With President Schall鈥檚 leadership, as well as that of an active, engaged Board of Trustees and committed alumni, we are ensuring the future of not only this institution, but also our graduates. I speak for the entire K体育 family in thanking Bill and Diane Hammack for making such an incredible gift.鈥�
