Marshall University Foundation
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Tuesday, March 2, 2004
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications (304) 696-7153
Marshall Campaign Reaches 2/3 of Goal with Gift to Simon Perry Academic Program
The Dr. Simon D. Perry Academic Program on Constitutional Democracy at Marshall University has received a gift of $50,000 from Harvey White designated for the J. Wade Gilley Scholar program. White is a Marshall alumnus and one of the founders of QUALCOMM, a California-based, pioneering organization in wireless technology.
“Simon Perry represents the best that Marshall offers its students,” Marshall President Dan Angel said. “He’s an outstanding teacher and researcher, and generations of Marshall students have benefited from his wisdom.”
The gift brings Marshall’s Campaign for National Prominence to $81,304,254, more than two-thirds of its goal, according to Dr. H. Keith Spears, vice president for institutional advancement at Marshall and a co-director of the campaign.
“More and more of Marshall’s alumni and friends are making gifts to the campaign as it progresses,” Spears said. “We are especially grateful to Harvey White for his support of this program. Harvey White is a visionary and has a strong passion for programs in higher education that instill a sense of national awareness in our students.”
Perry, for whom the constitutional democracy program is named, is a longtime professor of political science at Marshall. The program, which will be housed in the university’s John Deaver Drinko Academy for Political Institutions and Civic Culture, represents a unique and dynamic field in constitutional studies employing a new approach in political science called “historical institutions,” according to Dr. Alan B. Gould, director of the academy.
“It is designed to study the impact of major American constitution builders, including John Marshall, and the role of constitutional democracy in the evolution of America’s political and civic life,” Gould noted. The program includes four new core courses developed by Perry, as well as 18 other courses offered in a variety of academic disciplines including history, English, philosophy, sociology and political science. The Gilley Scholar, named for former Marshall president J. Wade Gilley, will be a full-time professor assigned to the program.
The university will provide a permanent professor position and interest from the endowment will be used in part as a stipend for that chair. The university also will provide tuition waivers for two student assistants with interest from the endowment used in part as scholarship stipends.
All gifts to Marshall are counted towards the overall campaign goal. Gifts may be made to the Marshall University Foundation, the Big Green Foundation or the Marshall University Graduate College Foundation, and should be mailed to Development Office, Marshall University, One John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV 25755.