Thursday, Oct. 25, Elizabethtown College received the largest gift commitment in its history from an anonymous alumni couple. This $8.5 million gift, which includes a combination of cash, pledges and bequests, will support the College in similar ways to the “Be More Inspired” capital campaign.

With this gift, the College will work to improve its facilities, increase the endowment and increase fund operations, all current goals of “Be More Inspired.” The current campaign is only approximately three million dollars short of its $60 million goal.

Previous large gift commitments granted to the College include $5 million from the late Frank Masters, $3 million from another anonymous couple who are not alumni of the College and more than $4 million from S. Dale High, ’63, whose giving helped create the High Library and High Family Business Center.

“The generosity of our Blue Jay community demonstrates that the deep commitment to the Etown experience lasts long after our alumni venture into the world,” President Carl Strikwerda said in an email sent out to the campus community regarding the donation.

“Be More Inspired,” a campaign derived from the College’s original “Be Inspired” campaign, focuses on the College’s commitment to its students’ growth through academic, physical, emotional, social and vocational developments. The $60 million goal is divided into three main priorities: “Fulfilling Dreams,” “Transforming Lives” and “Building Community.”

According to the “Be More Inspired” campaign website, “these priorities and projects reflect the College’s promise to ensure that the impact of an Elizabethtown College education is long-lasting and far-reaching… In short, they will be more prepared than ever before to leave their mark on the world in a variety of meaningful ways.”

For more information about the recent gift commitments or about the “Be More Inspired” campaign, please visit https://www.etown.edu/inspired/.