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Villanova enters new era with receipt of $2.5 million commitment to endowment

O’Toole family’s endowment of the dean of the College of Commerce and Finance is largest single outright gift in Villanova’s history

“A great university instills the kind of confidence among individual alumni, family, and friends that translates into multimillion dollar gifts,” stated University President Rev. Edmund J. Dobbin, O.S.A. ’58. “Every university with which Villanova competes for students and faculty has a long history of such gifts. Thanks to this commitment from the O’Toole family, Villanova has taken the first important step in establishing its place among this group of elite institutions.”

With these words at this year’s annual Christmas party at Steinway Hall (see accompanying article), Fr. Dobbin announced that Terence M. O’Toole ’80 and his wife, Polly, had made a commitment of $2.5 million from a charitable foundation that they have established to endow the Dean of the College of Commerce and Finance in the name of O’Toole’s parents, William and Helen O’Toole.

Each of Villanova’s campaigns has seen steady progress in the size and frequency of individual gifts, with ever more gifts at the $1 million level. This gift to The Campaign for Villanova is historic because it is the largest single largest outright gift (that is a gift fulfilled within five years) from an individual in Villanova’s history. Opportunities to endow and name buildings, deans, and centers are the bases for multimillion dollar gifts and have long been the way in which top universities build endowments. The Campaign, which will be publicly announced next year, contains many such opportunities.

“We are very grateful to the O’Toole family for taking The Campaign to a new level,” stated John M. Elizandro, vice president for Institutional Advancement. “A gift of such magnitude tends to encourage other leadership gifts, which in turn create an even higher level of momentum.”

O’Toole noted the connection that this gift makes between his family and the University. “This gift is being established in the name of my parents, who were great believers in education and were the major influence in my life. This is a way of honoring them and also repaying Villanova for its investment in me as a Presidential Scholar.”

In speaking of what the gift will mean for the College, O’Toole said, “Over the past 20 years, I’ve seen Villanova and the College of Commerce and Finance make tremendous strides. I hope this gift will help the College continue this excellent work and provide its students with as many opportunities as they can possibly have.”

O’Toole serves as a member of the Board of Trustees, and is also a member of the Steering Committee for The Campaign for Villanova. He was a major contributor to the previous capital campaign through his endowment of the O’Toole Family Endowed Fund for Excellence in Journalism.

In speaking of the importance of The Campaign for Villanova, O’Toole, who is a managing director with Goldman, Sachs & Co., said, “This is indeed a historic campaign. Villanova’s educational programs are among the best in the country, and our graduates are extremely qualified. By building the endowment, we can continue to make this a university of choice for the most qualified students and faculty.”

	Villanova Magazine - Winter 2003 Edition
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Homepage Back Summer 2003 Archives		Villanova enters new era with receipt of $2.5 million commitment to endowment O’Toole family’s endowment of the dean of the College of Commerce and Finance is largest single outright gift in Villanova’s history “A great university instills the kind of confidence among individual alumni, family, and friends that translates into multimillion dollar gifts,” stated University President Rev. Edmund J. Dobbin, O.S.A. ’58. “Every university with which Villanova competes for students and faculty has a long history of such gifts. Thanks to this commitment from the O’Toole family, Villanova has taken the first important step in establishing its place among this group of elite institutions.” With these words at this year’s annual Christmas party at Steinway Hall (see accompanying article), Fr. Dobbin announced that Terence M. O’Toole ’80 and his wife, Polly, had made a commitment of $2.5 million from a charitable foundation that they have established to endow the Dean of the College of Commerce and Finance in the name of O’Toole’s parents, William and Helen O’Toole. Each of Villanova’s campaigns has seen steady progress in the size and frequency of individual gifts, with ever more gifts at the $1 million level. This gift to The Campaign for Villanova is historic because it is the largest single largest outright gift (that is a gift fulfilled within five years) from an individual in Villanova’s history. Opportunities to endow and name buildings, deans, and centers are the bases for multimillion dollar gifts and have long been the way in which top universities build endowments. The Campaign, which will be publicly announced next year, contains many such opportunities. “We are very grateful to the O’Toole family for taking The Campaign to a new level,” stated John M. Elizandro, vice president for Institutional Advancement. “A gift of such magnitude tends to encourage other leadership gifts, which in turn create an even higher level of momentum.” O’Toole noted the connection that this gift makes between his family and the University. “This gift is being established in the name of my parents, who were great believers in education and were the major influence in my life. This is a way of honoring them and also repaying Villanova for its investment in me as a Presidential Scholar.” In speaking of what the gift will mean for the College, O’Toole said, “Over the past 20 years, I’ve seen Villanova and the College of Commerce and Finance make tremendous strides. I hope this gift will help the College continue this excellent work and provide its students with as many opportunities as they can possibly have.” O’Toole serves as a member of the Board of Trustees, and is also a member of the Steering Committee for The Campaign for Villanova. He was a major contributor to the previous capital campaign through his endowment of the O’Toole Family Endowed Fund for Excellence in Journalism. In speaking of the importance of The Campaign for Villanova, O’Toole, who is a managing director with Goldman, Sachs & Co., said, “This is indeed a historic campaign. Villanova’s educational programs are among the best in the country, and our graduates are extremely qualified. By building the endowment, we can continue to make this a university of choice for the most qualified students and faculty.”