UF received its largest ever donation in the history of the university on Friday — $75 million.
This gift, earmarked for the Warrington College of Business Administration, makes its benefactors, Alfred and Judy Warrington, UF’s first $100 million donors.
The couple’s previous gift endowed and named the business college, but the Warringtons’ earlier donations funded a range of UF projects, including the stadium expansion and the Florida Opportunity Scholars Program.
“It’s the kind of mature fundraising that older universities have,” said UF President Bernie Machen. “It helps us build the academic programs that our students are the beneficiaries of.”
The donation will be distributed over time and will enlarge the college’s current endowment, which funds the faculty’s expenses in hiring graduate students, traveling and buying technology for their classrooms, said Tom Mitchell, UF’s vice president for development and alumni affairs.
“This gift will keep giving 100 years from now,” he said.
John Kraft, dean of the Warrington College of Business Administration, said this gift will help UF in its goal of rising to the top 10 public schools and compete with the top three public business schools in the county.
“It’s all about trying to attract and retain the best faculty,” he said. “We want to make sure that the high quality performers here are rewarded.”
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 2/24/2014 under the headline "Warrington makes largest donation in UF history"]
Al and Judy Warrington speak at a gala event held in their honor in Emerson Alumni Hall on Friday night. The Warringtons became the first $100 million donors after announcing a $75 million pledge at the event.
