American Magazine: November 2013

GIFTS TO THE UNIVERSITY create a legacy of philanthropy
that changes the life of our institution forever.
The gleaming new Cassell Hall opened its doors at the beginning
of this semester to its first group of residents. Alumni who come
to campus will be surprised, if not shocked, to see it there. It used
to be a parking lot, and now there’s an eight-story building that
will change lives for generations of AU students to come.
Cassell Hall is important because it’s the first residence hall at AU
named for philanthropy. It provides a resource that was badly
needed, but it also gives a lot of joy to the donor. To me, working
with people who give is about enabling their joy in giving. That’s
what we want philanthropy to be—joyful giving.
Other great philanthropic legacies at AU include the Kogod
School of Business, Katzen Arts Center, Kay Spiritual Life Center,
Greenberg Theatre, facilities named by the Abramson family, and
the Susan Carmel Lehrman Chair of Russian History and Culture.
Higher education
in America was
created to provide
opportunity, and
that opportunity
continues in
every gift.
There are many ways to create a legacy. Higher education
in America was created to provide opportunity, and that
opportunity continues in every gift. Gifts in support of
scholarships enable students to come to AU who otherwise
might not be in school anywhere. Our excellent studentfaculty
ratio means that all students are personally impacted
by faculty. That makes the legacy of philanthropy through
investment in faculty significant and lasting.
Faculty are the skeleton of the institution—they hold the meat
on the bones. To attract and retain the best and the brightest
scholars in all the disciplines, we need support for faculty. That
assures that we have brilliant people who spend the balance of
their careers here.
We know that the best donors are engaged in multiple aspects of
the institution’s life, and we know that the best volunteers are
also donors. So it’s important for us to have our alumni step up
and participate in giving at whatever level they can.
No matter how much you give, you are contributing to a legacy
built by a community of Eagles.
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Minar, PhD
Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations
38 AMERICAN MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013