Skip to content

$1.2 million estate gift from longtime Lawrence residents will benefit KU

February 7, 2013

Roger and Julie Davis, of Chicago, have made a $1 million gift toward construction of new School of Business building at the University of Kansas. This brings contributions by KU alumni and friends for the new building to more than $33 million.

Julie and Roger Davis

Roger Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in business from KU in 1972. He is owner and CEO of Paxton/Patterson. Davis said he and his wife, Julie, had planned to make a gift toward the new building, but that after visiting with School of Business Dean Neeli Bendapudi, they decided to double their gift.

“After our first meeting with the dean, we were absolutely inspired by her energetic leadership and clarity of vision for the School of Business,” said Davis. “We knew that increasing our financial commitment to the new building project was the number one way for us to support her and the School of Business.”

“We look back with pride knowing that doubling our pledge was a real boost to the School of Business and KU Endowment as they launched their new building campaign,” said Davis.

Bendapudi said the creation of a new building is critical to the advancement of the KU School of Business. “I am excited to see the support for this project and grateful to donors such as Roger and Julie who are changing this longtime dream into a reality,” she said.

KU Endowment is working with alumni and friends to complete private funding for the building, which is expected to cost approximately $60 million. The six-story, 166,000-square-foot building will be located on the east side of Naismith Drive, across from Allen Fieldhouse at the south entrance of the campus.

The gifts count toward Far Above: The Campaign for Kansas, the university’s $1.2 billion comprehensive fundraising campaign. Far Above seeks support to educate future leaders, advance medicine, accelerate discovery and drive economic growth to seize the opportunities of the future.

The campaign is managed by KU Endowment, the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment was the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.

Posted on
February 7, 2013
Share this article
Connect with Us
Daryl-Bell
Daryl Bell
AVP, Marketing + Brand Communications
785-832-7322
Latest News
2301_2023-01-SJ-CampusClouds_7631
Big heart from a small town
KUE-story-header-entrepreneurship-hub-at-the-McLains
$10 million gift ensures construction of new entrepreneurship hub at KU
KU Med Health Education Building: 2017
Bedford Falls Foundation commits $1.6 million to support KU School of Nursing scholarships