Campbellsville University received two $1 million gifts as it announced the public phase of a $61.1 million “Our Time – This Place Next Century Campaign” at the 36th annual President’s Club dinner recently.
E. Bruce Heilman, a 1949 alumnus who serves on the university’s Board of Trustees, personally gave $1 million toward the third building in the E. Bruce Heilman Student Complex. He also announced another $1 million gift from a friend of his who will remain anonymous at present.
Heilman was the speaker at the event before the largest crowd in the history of the dinner, with 388 in attendance, that honors donors who give $1,000 and more to the university during the fiscal year.
In his speech, Heilman challenged those in attendance to push the university forward while great things continue to happen at Campbellsville.
“I caption my comments ‘Strike while the iron is hot,’” he said. “We must strike now while we have a president who has moved this institution far and has yet the time and capacity to move it much farther,” Heilman said.
Heilman also reflected on his time at Campbellsville, where he met his late wife, Betty Dobbins Heilman, a 1948 graduate of Campbellsville and for whom the Betty Dobbins Heilman House, the president’s home, is named.
“Campbellsville College gave us both a good foundation. It was a launching pad, worth all we are giving and more. Had I not been given a chance here, I likely would not have attended college,” Heilman said.
Heilman has been involved in higher education 65 years and is the chancellor and former president of the University of Richmond.
Heilman’s donation will continue the expansion of the Campbellsville University campus.
The third building of the complex will be the largest building on campus, Heilman said, and will “highlight thearchitectural style of the campus for the future.”
Also at the dinner, Michael V. Carter, president of Campbellsville University, spoke about progress and future of the university.
“Campbellsville University is moving forward, and we are moving forward in many, many wonderful ways,” Carter said.
“Tonight, we say thank you. Thank you for your support of the scholarship fund, which is absolutely essential as we make Christian higher education affordable,” he said.
Carter, who is serving in his 17th year as president of the university, said Campbellsville University, over the past three weeks, has also received a $2,244,778 million Title III grant; $450,000 from the James Graham Brown Foundation, and $150,000 from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, plus the $2 million gifts.
From Campbellsville University