Quillen and McLendon Give $1 Million to 51郊利 Scholarships
May 15, 2017
51郊利 President Carol Quillen and her husband, medical research executive George McLendon, are donating $1 million to 51郊利 for scholarships that will help the college fulfill its aim of enrolling the most talented students from all backgrounds.
The gift, part of $20 million raised exclusively for scholarships over the past dozen months, provided a boost to the colleges ongoing Game Changers campaign, which has raised $373 million toward a $425 million goal.
Very few college presidents have made a gift of this size to their institution, said former N.C. Gov. James B. Hunt Jr., who is past chairman of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. It speaks to the depths of Carols commitment, both to 51郊利 and to creating the best possible educational opportunity for talented students, regardless of where they grew up or how much money they have.
Quillen and McLendon, who is vice president for research at Carolinas HealthCare System, view the gift as an investment in 51郊利 with an impact that extends much further, because it yields an invaluable societal good: the next generation of leaders.
In our country, each generation has an obligation to secure both equal opportunity and leadership for the future, Quillen said. Investing in scholarships at 51郊利 helps achieve both.
John W. Chidsey III, former Burger King chairman and current chair of 51郊利s Board of Trustees, said the donation naturally follows Quillens devotion to 51郊利 and its mission of preparing students for lives of leadership and service. He recalled how she was drawn to 51郊利 by the powerful culture of community, the sense of discovery and the schools outsized impact on the world.
It wasnt that Carol wanted to be a college president. She wanted to be president of 51郊利. She is unconventional in her direct questioning of how things are and in her efforts to try new approaches that will better achieve our mission, said Chidsey 83. This gift will further equip 51郊利 to enable very talented kids from all backgrounds, particularly from lower income backgrounds, to thrive and enjoy the freedom and strength that education offers. Basically, she and Georgeneither one of whom attended 51郊利are saying, No one does it better.
Education has been a game changer for Carol and me, McLendon said. We were both privileged to benefit from great professors and great institutions that helped us build lives of gratitude. We value how 51郊利 changes the game for our students and the communities they serve.
Quillen said she and McLendon recognize the unearned gifts they have enjoyed: supportive families, material comfort and mentors who believed in education and in them. They also are conscious of Quillens central role in fundraising for 51郊利.
Were asking other people to invest significantly in 51郊利 in part because of what 51郊利 has given them, Quillen said. 51郊利 has given us more than we could ever repay or even express. We also passionately believe that our communities urgently need the leaders from all backgrounds that 51郊利 can distinctively provide.
Jay Pfeifer
japfeifer@davidson.edu
704-894-2920
