Download the Summer 2004 PDF - Augsburg College

Major gifts directed to new Science CenterDonors typically have unique, specialmemories and connections withAugsburg College that inspire them tohelp the school. Such is the case withthese generous gifts that will be used forthe new Science Center, the top goal ofthe campaign.KINNEY JOHNSON ’65Augsburg Collegehas been a central,significant part ofKinney Johnson’slife–and viceversa–for many,many years. Hisrelationship withthe College becamecloser recently when he joined theAugsburg Board of Regents. Johnson hasgiven generously to Augsburg in variousways over the years. His first $1 milliongift went to the Lindell Library to honorhis father, Herb ’34, and now he hasgiven a $1 million gift to the newScience Center. In addition, he continuesto provide strong leadership for TheAugsburg Fund each year.Johnson’s family has a rich historywith Augsburg, beginning with HerbJohnson, who was on Augsburg’s Boardof Regents for 12 years. Augsburg lost atrue friend when he died earlier thisyear. Herb Johnson’s aunt, LaVonnePeterson ’50, also had an impact onAugsburg. She was a role model andpioneer in women’s athletics and was incharge of the women’s athletic departmentbefore the title “director” wasapplied to that department. KinneyJohnson has been very close to hiscousin, Jeffrey Peterson ’63, LaVonne’sson, and the two attended AugsburgCollege together. Jeffrey is retired fromthe Federal government and lives inVirginia. Johnson’s sister, JennelleCunning, also graduated from Augsburgin 1962. Needless to say, Augsburg hasbeen an integral part of the lives of boththe Johnson and Peterson families.We are especially grateful to KinneyJohnson, a highly successful, generousentrepreneur who is a general partner ofa venture capital firm in Boulder, Colo.JEAN TAYLOR ’85Jean Taylor’s passionfor AugsburgCollege is difficultto overstate. A1985 graduate,Taylor is co-chairof the campaignand began a twoyearterm as Boardof Regents chair on May 1. She volunteersher time and energy tirelessly andher enthusiasm is felt on the board andthe campaign. Her drive is helping tochart the course for Augsburg Collegenow and into the future.“Nothing gives me more confidencethan knowing that my successor bringsmore talent to a job than I have,” saidoutgoing board chair Kathy Tunheim.“So I am extremely confident that thenext phase of Augsburg College’s governancewill be even more important andfruitful than the years in which I hadthe honor of participating. Jean Taylorbrings the discipline and experience ofbusiness leadership, the passion of herfeelings about this College, and thegreat humor and wit of a wonderfulleader.”Taylor is also a corporate leaderfrom one of Minnesota’s most importantbusiness families, and she and her husband,Roger Griffith ’84, together withthe Glen A. Taylor Foundation, havegiven nearly $1.5 million in leadershipgifts to the campaign that will helpbuild the new Science Center.“The new Science Center is notonly the centerpiece of the campaign, italso links the College’s past to itsfuture. Our rich history of talented sciencefaculty and alumni and the importanceof science in a liberal arts educationare the foundation of using ournew Science Center to better serve ourcommunity and educate future leaderswho will find essential a knowledge ofscience, health care, and the naturalworld,” Taylor said.Perhaps her friend and fellow regentTracy Elftmann ’81 best summarizedTaylor’s contributions to Augsburgwhen she said, “Jean is one of the moststrategic thinking people I’ve knownand is incredibly accomplished in beingable to identify and articulateAugsburg’s vision and values. I thinkshe is going to move us forward in wayswe never envisioned.“Jean is grateful for her educationhere and is committed to giving back tothe institution in a meaningful, long-lastingway that is also forward thinking.”(Major gifts continued on page 7)6