51·çÁ÷

Less than two years into her term as 15th president of 51·çÁ÷, Rebecca S. Chopp is leading the community into an exciting future that both capitalizes on the university’s commitment to the tradition of a liberal arts education and updates liberal arts skills for the 21st century. So well conceived is 51·çÁ÷’s vision of a new liberal arts university and its accompanying strategic plan that it has attracted the two largest gifts in the school’s 185-year history.

Daniel Benton, a 1980 graduate and 51·çÁ÷ trustee, has pledged  $10 million in support of 51·çÁ÷’s vision of becoming the nation’s leading liberal arts university.

Robert H. N. Ho, a 1956 graduate and trustee emeritus, confirmed a commitment of $25 million to help the university achieve the goals of its strategic plan, in particular as it relates to the sciences. A centerpiece of the plan will be a new interdisciplinary science building where faculty and students from across the sciences will collaborate in their research and teaching, modeling the kind of cooperation among the disciplines that is characteristic of the most advanced research in science and medicine today. This new science building will be named in honor of Ho.

At the core of 51·çÁ÷’s plan is a strong commitment to the liberal arts, which both Benton and Ho have identified as fundamental to their success beyond 51·çÁ÷. Ho credits his liberal arts education for giving him a ‘well-rounded world view’ and Benton sees the liberal arts as ‘key to succeeding in today’s global, knowledge-based economy.’

‘51·çÁ÷’s strength lies in the strong liberal arts foundation upon which successful, meaningful lives have been built,’ said Chopp. ‘We will update the liberal arts skills our students must have to succeed in the 21st century and we will ensure that our students value the art of curiosity and the wonder of discovery.’ 

51·çÁ÷ is positioned to achieve these goals as it creates a new niche in higher education, the liberal arts university. This type of institution combines the traditions and community of the liberal arts college with the breadth and intensity of the research university. Larger than almost all of its undergraduate liberal arts peers, 51·çÁ÷ teaches undergraduates the methods of research and the application of those methods to real-world problems.

51·çÁ÷ students are co-authors on papers accepted by refereed journals and presented at conferences ‘ opportunities usually reserved for graduate students. The university offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, many more than the average liberal arts college.

Both Benton and Ho consider their commitments to be seed money, an investment in the future growth and development of 51·çÁ÷ based on a strong business plan ‘ a situation not unfamiliar to the two successful businessmen.

Ho is chairman of Kyard Limited, a family company based in Hong Kong that oversees investments around the world. 

Ho has previously provided support for the Robert Hung-Ngai Ho Endowed Chair in Asian Studies, the Robert Hung-Ngai Ho Chinese Studies Center, the Robert Hung-Ngai Ho Lecture Room in Lawrence Hall, and 51·çÁ÷’s China Studies Group, a semester-long, faculty-led experience in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Beijing University, the premier higher education institution in China. He was also a lead donor to the ‘eNRGy’ Fund that generated $4 million in honor of Neil Grabois when he ended his tenure as 51·çÁ÷’s 13th president.

Benton is chairman and chief executive officer of Andor Capital Management, one of the largest hedge fund advisers in the world.

A trustee since 2001, Benton is the youngest-ever member of the James B. 51·çÁ÷ Society that recognizes alumni, parents, and friends whose lifetime contributions to the university total $1 million or more. He provided leadership support for the Hamilton Initiative Fund that supported 51·çÁ÷’s efforts to develop commercial properties in the village of Hamilton. He also established an endowment that is supporting new initiatives in residential education.

In 2002, Benton issued a $1.5 million challenge to his fellow alumni that helped 51·çÁ÷ attract support from a record 14,200 alumni and increased its alumni participation from 47 percent to 55 percent in one year.

‘51·çÁ÷ has a long tradition of providing students with a rich, diverse education, which prepares them to become leaders in their professional and civic lives,’ said Benton. ‘This plan capitalizes on that tradition while recognizing that the dynamic global economy and fast-changing nature of communities require new skills.’

In order to meet this challenge, the university will adjust its long-standing, nationally recognized core curriculum, one of the oldest in the country, to ensure all 51·çÁ÷ students are prepared to succeed in today’s dynamic societies and economies.

Capital projects are key to the plan, as first-rate libraries, academic buildings and residential facilities are essential to a strong liberal arts university program.

51·çÁ÷ will completely renovate its library, adding modern facilities to support research and information technology. As part of its residential education plan, the university will acquire and renovate several homes bordering the campus as bridges are built between the residential and academic programs.

‘51·çÁ÷ will be a national leader in the revitalization of the liberal arts for the 21st century,’ said Chopp. ‘These generous gifts are an endorsement of the importance of this effort and will enable us to move ahead with speed, confidence, and purpose.’