Department receives multi-million dollar gift and Endowed Chair
Wednesday, May 2 2007
The philosophy department has received a gift of $2,033,875 designated to endow a Hellenic studies fund. The donor wishes to remain anonymous. The Hellenic studies fund will support undergraduate and graduate students who are achieving competence in ancient Greek and plan to teach or research Hellenic philosophy, history, or literature at the secondary school or college level. The fund will also provide new opportunities for study in Greece and surrounding regions. The department's focus on Hellenic studies is already well established because of the graduate dual-degree program and undergraduate joint concentration offered with the classical studies department, as well as the publications of several philosophy faculty.
In a separate development, the Board of Trustees announced in April 2007 the establishment of the Silber Chair in Philosophy, the department's first endowed faculty chair in recent history, in honor of President Emeritus John Silber.
These gifts to the department come on the heels of the completion of the Karbank Challenge (which was declared successful in March of 2007, having raised $221,075. for the department), the establishment of the Excellence in Philosophical Studies Fund, endowed with gifts totaling approximately $167,561, and receipt of some $47,000 for other endowed funds (see earlier news notices on this site). "In soliciting these gifts," Department Chair Charles Griswold noted, "I very much had in mind the pressing need of our students, both graduate and undergraduate, for financial support in view of both high tuitions and the dearth of resources in philosophy for those pursuing projects in the summer or in addition to the normal curriculum. We very much hope to add to these funds over time."
Thanks are due to a group of BU alumni and friends who understand that sustaining the life of the mind requires more than good wishes," Griswold remarked in an interview about these gifts. "Through a combination of gifts to endowment and to current departmental operations, they have supplied some of the much-needed means the department requires if its faculty and students are to pursue the wisdom and understanding that are the hallmarks of our discipline. We have made a wonderful start and look forward to reaching the level of funding appropriate to the quality of our students and faculty.
In a separate development, the Board of Trustees announced in April 2007 the establishment of the Silber Chair in Philosophy, the department's first endowed faculty chair in recent history, in honor of President Emeritus John Silber.
These gifts to the department come on the heels of the completion of the Karbank Challenge (which was declared successful in March of 2007, having raised $221,075. for the department), the establishment of the Excellence in Philosophical Studies Fund, endowed with gifts totaling approximately $167,561, and receipt of some $47,000 for other endowed funds (see earlier news notices on this site). "In soliciting these gifts," Department Chair Charles Griswold noted, "I very much had in mind the pressing need of our students, both graduate and undergraduate, for financial support in view of both high tuitions and the dearth of resources in philosophy for those pursuing projects in the summer or in addition to the normal curriculum. We very much hope to add to these funds over time."
Thanks are due to a group of BU alumni and friends who understand that sustaining the life of the mind requires more than good wishes," Griswold remarked in an interview about these gifts. "Through a combination of gifts to endowment and to current departmental operations, they have supplied some of the much-needed means the department requires if its faculty and students are to pursue the wisdom and understanding that are the hallmarks of our discipline. We have made a wonderful start and look forward to reaching the level of funding appropriate to the quality of our students and faculty.
