The Lettie Pate Evans Foundation has awarded $5 million to Oglethorpe University for the I. W. “Ike” Cousins Center for Science and Innovation.
This generous gift is part of the current $20 million capital campaign to establish the new Cousins Center for Science and Innovation. A lead gift from the Cousins Foundation was made in May 2017 in tribute to Ike Cousins, a 1927 alumnus.
The Lettie Pate Evans Foundation is a private foundation that invests in education, arts and culture. Most of its grants are made in Georgia. The Foundation has supported OU in the past.“Mrs. Evans was an ardent supporter of education,” said Dr. Lawrence M. Schall, president of Oglethorpe University. “The Lettie Pate Evans Foundation believes strong educational institutions are vital to the quality of life in a city and are an important driver of economic development. We are proud OU contributes to Atlanta’s economic, business and civic development. Atlanta matters to Oglethorpe, and Oglethorpe matters to Atlanta. And, we are deeply committed to advancing that engagement in the years to come.”
Mrs. Lettie Pate Evans
The new science and innovation center will help to attract and accommodate students who expect the best in the sciences, business and the liberal arts. The university enrolled 1,250 students this semester, with approximately 60% majoring in STEM fields or business. Considering a majority of OU alumni remain in the Atlanta area, an Oglethorpe education will positively impact generations of Atlantans to come.
“This gift demonstrates the trust and confidence Atlanta’s philanthropic community has in OU,” said Tim Tassopoulos ’81, chair of the Oglethorpe Board of Trustees and president and COO of Chick-fil-A. “I hope it serves to inspire alumni to make their own gifts to the campaign.
“As alums, we should be the most invested in OU and make our gifts to ensure future generations have the opportunities provided to us. Alumni have the collective power to exceed our campaign goal and make this vision a reality. I invite alumni, parents and friends of Oglethorpe to consider a gift today.”
