The internet is bustling with news that Spelman College, a historically Black women’s college and the number one ranked HBCU in the land for 17 years, has received a gift of $100 million. The record-breaking gift is reportedly the largest single gift ever to an HBCU.
The historic gift was given by businesswoman and philanthropist Ronda E. Stryker, a trustee of Spelman, and her husband, William D. Johnston, chairman of the wealth management company Greenleaf Trust. Ms. Stryker serves as director of the medical equipment company Stryker Corporation, which was founded by her grandfather Homer Stryker.
A press release from the esteemed college stated:
“Stryker has been a Spelman College Trustee since 1997. She has worked for decades to empower women through higher education and advance opportunities for additional marginalized groups.
The $100 million comes as Spelman College marks 100 years since its official naming in 1924.
$75 million of the $100 million will go to endowed scholarships for future students, helping Spelman College continue to attract the best and brightest students, while working to remove any financial barriers that prevent qualified students from enrolling at Spelman. The remaining $25 million will be used to develop an academic focus on public policy and democracy, improve student housing and provide flexible funding to meet critical strategic needs.”
Spelman students commemorated the historic gift with a special ceremony:
Spelman College | 100th Anniversary Announcement Full Event Broll from Jackson Spalding on Vimeo.
To learn more about Spelman College, visit Spelman.edu.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on social media @Ntellectual.
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