A small group of UW-Madison alumni announced an unprecedented gift totaling $85 million to name UW-Madison's business school the Wisconsin School of Business during a ceremony Saturday at Grainger Hall.
The premiere Wisconsin Naming Partnership"" differs from traditional naming gifts, in which a business school adopts a name of a single donor without end.
According to a statement, the gift will preserve the Wisconsin name for the next 20 years. During this time, no single donor or entity will be able to make a contribution to change the school's name. Once the 20 years end, future naming gifts would be possible.
""These partners have stepped forward to ensure that their deep pride in this school, this university and this state is passed along to the next generation of business students,"" Chancellor John Wiley said in a statement.
To join the partnership, donors contributed a minimum of $5 million.
Donors include UW-Madison graduates Paul Collins, Wade Fetzer, Pete Frechette, Jon Hammes, Ted Kellner, Paul Leff, Sheldon Lubar, John Morgridge, Albert Nicholas, John Oros, H. Signe Ostby and two anonymous donors.
""The generosity of these alumni will enable the business school to build on its reputation of leadership and innovation,"" Michael Knetter, the school's dean, said in a statement.
The gift also launched a ""Matching Campaign"", in which any individual gift made to the Wisconsin School of Business by Dec. 31 will be matched by a naming partner, up to a total of $1 million.
