SALISBURY, MD--Aviation pioneer and philanthropist Richard A. Henson celebrated the 10th anniversary of Salisbury State University's Henson School of Science and Technology with a present to its students: $1 million of new equipment.
With this gift SSU officially launched the long-anticipated public phase of its capital campaign Friday, Campaign 2002: Our Promise of Excellence, following a week of good news: published reports of a University System of Maryland (USM) study showing that Salisbury State had the lowest fund-raising costs per-dollar-raised of any campus. although the last campus in the system to launch its public phase, SSU is furthest along in achieving its campaign goals. in the last few weeks the SSU Foundation, the University's fund-raising arm, has garnered $2 million in gifts--more than 15 percent of its total campaign goal.
"Public education needs to be affordable education," President William C. Merwin said. "Our campaign will sustain this legacy by making sure students, regardless of financial capability, can attend this superior university."
A large portion of the campaign goal is earmarked for scholarships, as well as equipment and faculty recruitment/ development--all necessary for maintaining excellence.
For Henson, who's seen nearly 100 Henson Scholars graduate since he endowed the school and its scholarship program, the decade has indeed been outstanding. Many of its students have matriculated to some of the best medical, graduate and research programs in the country. "I'm greatly impressed with the SATs and what's happening with the Henson Scholars," he said. "They have a fine record."
Henson added, "I'm excited about the potential of the Henson School of Science and Technology, particularly with the new construction that will be taking place."
He and University officials hope his gift will provide leverage in getting state approval for funding of a much needed new science building currently being planned.
This is not unusual. Gifts such as Henson's often are given with the idea of generating even more public and private support. Last year, for example, Sam and Marilyn Seidel gave $1 million to the School of Education and Professional Studies. Earlier this week Cambridge attorney and philanthropist Edward H. Nabb endowed SSU's Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture for $500,000. Each was a "challenge gift"--the University must succeed in raising equal amounts of support from additional private sources.
University officials are optimistic about reaching those goals. Since USM began the "quiet" phase of its campaign in 1995, Salisbury State has raised $9 million of a targeted $13 million.
The campaign has succeeded, Vice President of University Advancement Martin E. Williams believes, because the region has a heritage of civic support. In turn, the University has made itself a point of pride for the local community (U.S. News and World Report this year ranked Salisbury State among the top 10 regional public universities in the North) and by placing special emphasis upon community goals with such popular programs as the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra, the Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture, University Galleries and WSCL public radio--all combined with a tradition of public service by faculty and students. "The campaign is a partnership with the community," said Williams.
Leaders are: honorary chairs--Sam Seidel (Maryland insurance magnate and Salisbury civic leader) and Nabb; and Wayne Towers, Rudolph "Bunky" Dolle, Jane Ellen Mengason and Hudson Hoen.
Altogether USM is committed to raising $700 million among its 11 campuses, to offset losses in public funding. In the 1960s some 90 percent of SSU's budget was provided by the state. Today the institution has among the lowest state support per capita student of any USM campus, at some 30 percent.
