Small Colleges In Missouri, Iowa And Maryland Receive Record Multi-Million Dollar Gifts

November was a very a good month for three small colleges, each of which has received their largest private donation in history. Evangel University (Springfield, Missouri), Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) and St. Mary’s College of Maryland (St. Mary’s City, Maryland) are the institutions announcing the historic gifts.

Evangel University

Evangel University, a private institution affiliated with the Assemblies of God denomination, received a $10 million donation from the David Green family, the owners of Hobby Lobby and Mardel. The gift has been established as a matching fund that will support several presidential initiatives, including completion of the university’s Valor Center, a new 70,000 square foot arena and fieldhouse.

This is the second $10 million donation given to Evangel by the Green family over the last two years, matching the largest gift received in Evangel’s history.

“We are grateful to the Green family for their continued support of EU,” said Evangel President Mike Rakes. “This second gift from the Greens is more than a spark, it’s an affirmation of Evangel’s impact on this generation.”

The matching gift will enable contributions by other university donors for select initiatives to be doubled up to $10 million over the next 12 months.

Luther College

Luther College, a Lutheran liberal arts institution, has received a historic $10 million gift from Michael and Nicole Gerdin and the Gerdin Charitable Foundation. The largest individual gift in the college’s 162-year history, it will be used for the expansion and renovation of the Regents Center, a faculty that’s home to some of the college’s athletic teams and doubles as its sports and recreation center.

“Today it’s my absolute joy and distinct privilege to announce this transformational gift to Luther College,” President Jenifer K. Ward said in the announcement. “This support is not only historic, it speaks to the strength of Luther’s reputation as a fine Iowa college destination and to our potential for future success.”

Michael Gordon is a 1992 graduate of Luther and currently serves as the chairman, president and CEO of Heartland Express, a trucking and logistics company in North Liberty, Iowa.

“I wanted to play college basketball, and I wanted to go to a place that had a good business school. I kept coming back to Luther,” Gerdin said in the announcement.“I talked to President Ward about what this upgrade could mean for Luther and the whole Decorah community. It is time for Luther.”

In recognition of this commitment, the facility will be renamed the Gerdin Fieldhouse for Athletics and Wellness.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland

St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) announced the largest private commitment in the public honor college’s history, a $4 million estate gift from alumnus R. Scott Raspa and his spouse, John M. Staples. The money will add to the school’s endowment and the R. Scott Raspa and John M. Staples Scholarship Endowed Fund.

“I am ecstatic that Scott has chosen to leave such a remarkable legacy for his alma mater: the ability to invest in programs and initiatives that will align with emerging trends, allowing the College to stay relevant in a dynamic world,” said St. Mary’s President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, in the announcement “His philanthropy is already impacting the College, having provided a six-figure leadership gift for the LEAD Fund during the quiet phase to help ignite the campaign. He has given us incredible momentum.”

After graduating from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Raspa began his career working for the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River, Maryland as a mathematician and computer scientist. He subsequently had a successful career in information technology, working for IBM, SGI and Oracle, from which he retired in 2015.

“As a college student, I took advantage of a wide range of opportunities outside the classroom and I want to help today’s students. I want growing the College’s endowment to be my legacy,” Raspa said.