From the Vice-Chancellor
[ UniNews Vol. 15, No. 16
4 - 18 September 2006 ]
Recently Philip H Knight, the founder of Nike, donated $105 million to his alma mater, Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. The sheer size of Mr Knight’s gift makes it remarkable.
At Melbourne, the names Baillieu and Beaurepaire are well-known for a library and a sports facility but perhaps not linked to the generous benefaction which gave the University community those important facilities.
Philanthropy at Melbourne dates back to its early days. In 1874 – just 20 years after its founding – the University received a substantial gift from a pastoralist, Samuel Wilson, to build the first Wilson Hall.
Samuel Wilson was knighted for his philanthropy – as was the custom of the time – but since then the University has also benefited from the generosity of hundreds of former and current staff and students as well as members of the public.
Just another 20 years after Samuel Wilson’s gift, Georgina Sweet graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. Later becoming the University’s first female Doctor of Science and Australia’s first female Professor of Biology, this outstanding woman left the University a fine bequest which to this day provides fellowships for students in Geology, Zoology and Medicine.
Since 2001, a scholarship in memory of the late Otti Veit, who taught violincello in the Faculty of Music, supports an outstanding violincello student in the Faculty or the VCA.
After attending a ‘Mildura years’ reunion, Dr George Hale, a Melbourne medical graduate and occasional lecturer in Medicine, approached the University about organising an appeal for scholarships in honour of the ‘Mildura years’. The Mildura Scholarships Appeal committee he now chairs is close to raising its goal of $150 000 to support scholarships for students in need from the Mildura area.
Each year, Jean and Betty Laby, retired University staff and daughters of an early Professor of Physics, Thomas Laby, give generously to the University.
And on the very day the Student Appeal email went out, Kathleen Neal, a PhD student in Medicine, ‘walked in’ the Appeal’s first gift of $50. Kathleen was so enthusiastic about the campaign she volunteered to help.
These are just some of our ‘unsung philanthropic heroes’. Melbourne aspires to be one of the finest universities in the world; strong philanthropic support will help us realise that aspiration.
Glyn Davis
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