CAMPAIGN UPDATE
WUCL Receives Three Foundation Gifts for Carnegie
This summer, the College of Law received three major foundation gifts for the Carnegie Building renovation project. Thanks to these contributions, gifts to the college raised through the First Endowment Campaign have exceeded the $10 million mark. The ongoing campaign seeks to raise $15 million to strengthen the Law School’s endowment, as well as a number of academic programs. The Wollenberg Foundation of San Francisco recently awarded the law school $500,000 toward the Carnegie Building renovation. In addition, the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation of Portland generously committed $250,000 for the project, and the Ben B. Cheney Foundation of Tacoma, Wash., donated an additional $50,000. Foundation leaders who presented the gifts said they were impressed with the quality of the school’s Law and Government Program and Clinical Law Program, both of which will be housed in the Carnegie Building along with the Oregon Law Commission once renovations are completed.
THE CARNEGIE BUILDING Located on the west corner of Winter and State streets, the Carnegie Building was built in 1912 by generous Salem citizens with matching funds provided by Andrew Carnegie. It housed the Salem Public Library for more than 60 years before taking on new life as the Salem YWCA. Willamette University purchased the property from the YWCA two years ago and is now seeking foundation grants to help cover the cost of extensive repairs and renovations to restore this historic building to its original glory.
Over the past 20 years, the Cheney Foundation has donated almost $100,000 to the College of Law in a series of four grants. Four years ago, the Miller Foundation made a $2 million grant to Willamette University for the renovation of the Art Building, located just across Winter Street from the Carnegie Building. The Wollenberg Foundation gift is the first for the University. These latest Carnegie Building gifts join two foundation contributions received for the same project — a $600,000 matching grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust and a $700,000 gift from The Collins Foundation. Phase I renovation costs for the Carnegie Building are estimated to be $2 million; full renovation costs are estimated to be $3.2 million. With a timely completion of fund raising, the Carnegie Building could be fully functional by the fall of 2008. If you are interested in contributing to this important project or would like additional information, please contact Mike Bennett at 503-370-6761 or mbennett@willamette.edu. — Mike Bennett Mike Bennett BA’70 serves as director of Development and Alumni Relations for the College of Law.
Fall 2006 | 5
