Key Takeaways
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Phil and Penny Knight donated 1 billion to the University of Oregon to fund a new college of engineering.
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The historic contribution is the largest single donation ever made to an American public university.
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The funds will help address a regional shortage of engineers by creating a comprehensive undergraduate program.
A historic gift for higher education
Phil and Penny Knight have made a staggering philanthropic contribution to the University of Oregon, pledging 1 billion to establish an entirely new college of engineering. The historic gift represents the largest single donation ever made to a public university in the United States.
The couple’s immense contribution will allow the institution to accelerate its long-term plans to consolidate various educational programs into a comprehensive undergraduate engineering program. This development comes at a crucial time, as the state is currently facing a shortage of qualified engineers.
Accelerating academic dreams
University president Karl Scholz received the surprising call from the Nike co-founder while waiting in a San Francisco airport terminal. Scholz praised the monumental gift and its implications for the academic community.
“One of the most successful businesspeople in the history of humanity, and one of the most generous philanthropists in the history of humanity, has said higher education is worth an investment of this magnitude,” Scholz explained, noting that the contribution serves as “a screaming endorsement of the importance of what we’re doing.”
The Knight family already has a profound legacy at the university, having previously donated a combined 1 billion over the decades to various campus facilities. Discussing the motivation behind his continued support for higher education, Knight emphasized the vital role these institutions play in shaping the future.
“To make an audacious dream a reality requires more than a vivid imagination,” Knight stated. “It also requires the sort of opportunity that our great American universities, both public and private, have historically provided. This is no time to abandon them.”
