Gifts That Shaped Rutgers

1766-1773
Philanthropy has deep roots at Rutgers. The early operation of Queen’s College was funded by 4,000 English pounds called "Proclamation Money." The City of New Brunswick contributed the bulk of this, with additional sums offered by prominent citizens and members of the Dutch Reformed Church.

1808
The heirs of John Parker, a prominent Perth Amboy citizen, donated a five-acre apple orchard next to the county jail. The site, so far out in the country that it was considered to be terribly inconvenient, became Queen’s Campus, the nucleus of today's Rutgers.

1825
Revolutionary War hero Colonel Henry Rutgers is the university's most famous philanthropist, but few people realize his most valuable contribution was the use of his good name. He also gave Rutgers a fine bell, which hangs in Old Queen’s, and the interest on a $5,000 bond, and he supported a wide range of other worthy causes.

1844-1937
Philanthropy was James Neilson's vocation. When he saw a need at Rutgers, he filled it, be it a gift of livestock to the college farm or his own home, Wood Lawn, which now houses the Eagleton Institute. During his lifetime Neilson donated much of what are now the Douglass College and Cook College campuses. He also made significant contributions to the College Avenue section of Rutgers College.

1845
Abraham Van Nest, a successful New York merchant and Rutgers trustee, was a tireless fund-raiser for the college. He made a leadership gift to construct a new teaching building and headed the effort to bring in the rest of the funds. Van Nest Hall was named in his honor.

1867
Abraham Voorhees gave Rutgers $54,000 to endow a professorship of history, political economy, and constitutional law. The discipline had been recently created at Rutgers, and Voorhees' generous gift ensured its success.

1871
Sophia Astley Kirkpatrick, whose family had a long association with Rutgers, bequeathed her entire estate to Rutgers. It is believed to be the first time in New Jersey that an institution became heir to an estate. Kirkpatrick Chapel was completed the next year.

1887
P. Vanderbilt Spader (RC 1849) recognized the value of a good book and gave Rutgers his very large and valuable personal library. He later provided an endowed fund of $10,000 to purchase additional works in history and English literature.

1890
It is said that Garrett E. Winants, a shipping merchant, bank executive, and Rutgers trustee, did not like the look of the Queen’s Campus. He thought it was unbalanced architecturally and should have another building. As Rutgers was in need of its first student dormitory, Winants decided to donate one. After many years of service as a dormitory and then an academic office building, the renovated Winants Hall is now the elegant home of the Rutgers University Foundation.

1903
Ralph and Elizabeth Voorhees devoted their lives to charity, and although neither attended Rutgers, they enjoyed a special relationship with the school. In 1903, the couple donated nearly $60,000 to build a library, and also made generous gifts to expand the book collection. Mrs. Voorhees later dedicated her $1.6 million estate to build a chapel that was completed in 1926. Today, Ralph Voorhees Hall on the College Avenue campus and the Elizabeth Rodman Voorhees Chapel on the Douglass campus honor their memory. Voorhees Hall now houses the Art History Department.

1927
An imposing bronze statue of William of Orange is a gift of The Holland Society in recognition of Rutgers' Dutch roots. William of Orange, also known as William the Silent, is a national hero in the Netherlands for his role in gaining Dutch independence from Spain.

1967
Thomas T. Barr (RC '13) left his estate and a trust valued at $4.3 million to the Rutgers athletic program for football scholarships. Barr, a student manager of the football team, has helped more than 1,000 students with his gift.

1971
Charles Busch, a man with no known connection to Rutgers, died and left the university his $10 million estate. The donation was the largest in Rutgers’ history and took the community by complete surprise. Although a major campus was named in his honor, Rutgers would like to have thanked him properly during his lifetime.

1973
Rutgers President Edward J. Bloustein and a group of visionary alumni, including Peter Cartmell, Milton Gelzer, Allan Maitlin, Claire W. Nagle, and Edward J. Slotkin, created the Rutgers University Foundation to support the university in obtaining private funds. First year total: $2,065,469.

1980
Professor James R. Slater (RC '13) gave Rutgers its first-ever gift annuity. The gift guaranteed him a significant lifetime income and provided endowed fellowships in biology, his chosen field.

1989
Rutgers became the 58th member of the nation's most prestigious academic body, the Association of American Universities.

1990
The Campaign for Rutgers raised $166.4 million and endowed 15 chairs. Faculty and students began work in more than 20 new academic centers, and funds provided sustenance and enrichment for libraries, academic programs, student support, facilities, and equipment.

2001
The College of Pharmacy received its largest gift in history, $5 million from the Ernest and Mildred Mario Foundation. The college was renamed the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy in honor of this 1961 alumnus and pharmaceutical executive.

2004
The Rutgers Campaign: Creating the Future Today exceeded its goal of $500 million by more than $100 million. Funds are providing support for student financial aid, academic programs, facilities and equipment, campus programs, and the faculty. Nancy and Duncan MacMillan (RC '66) became the first donors in Rutgers' history to endow two chairs, both in the sciences.