Voluntary Support Portland State University A special edition of PSU Perspective Summer 1983 1982-83 Private giving shows dramatic gain Private support to Portland State University increased dramatically during the 1982-83 year. Gifts and grants totaling $1,741,246 were recorded, more than doubling the dollar amount received the previous year. "Several large grants were responsible for most of the increase," noted Philip R. Bogue, executive director of the PSU Foundation. "But the success is also due to a large number of donors who have become aware of the importance of private support to the University." Alumni giving was up more than SO percent over the previous year and gifts from corporations and friends also increased. Donors can earmark their gifts for specific departments or programs at the University or they can give unrestricted gifts. Some of the major designated grants made to PSU in 1982-83 include the following: • $255,000 to the School of Engineering To establish a very large scale integrated system design center and develop a computer engineering program for the School of Engineering. The project will ensure that every graduating student has command of the latest automated tools in the design, fabrication and testing of digital circuits. (Murdock Charitable Trust) • $72,000 to the School of Business To enhance the Earle A. Chiles Microcomputing Center in the School of Business, used by students and faculty for research projects and hands-on experience. (Chiles Foundation) • $87,000 to Portland State University A collaborative effort with the University of Oregon to develop an ultrahigh vacuum photoelectron microscope for biological and medical research. Significant advances can be made in the knowledge of the structure of normal and malignant cell surfaces due to the increased resolution possible with this equipment. (Murdock Charitable Trust) • $135,000 to the Viking Athletic Association To enhance the baseball program and further develop all athletic programs at PSU. (Chiles Foundation) Of equal importance to the University are the unrestricted gifts received from alumni, businesses and friends. "These gifts allow the University administration to fund important projects in a timely manner as the opportunities arise," explained Bogue. Most contributions to Portland State go through the PSU Foundation, a public non-profit organization which is authorized to receive and administer gifts for the benefit of the University. A 40-member volunteer board directs the Foundation's activities, which include developing and implementing programs that encourage gifts to Portland State University. "Private support adds dimensions to the University:s programs which help distinguish PSU as a leader in quality education," said Bogue. "Student scholarships, opportunities for faculty to participate in professional development activities, and special equipment purchases are all crucial to our ability to serve the community with quality programs, but are items not provided by state funds. "Gifts and grants make a significant difference in these areas. With such generous support, I feel very good about our prospect for a successful future." Message from the President: Almost 112 years ago, before he became President of the United States, James A. Garfield commented to a group of Williams College alumni on "the value of a true teacher." In doing so, he uttered what has become perhaps the most quoted and misquoted passage in American education. "Give me a log hut," he said, "with only a simple bench, Mark Hopkins at one end and Ion the other, and you may have all the buildings, apparatus and libraries without him." Mark Hopkins was then President of Williams College, and his reaction to Garfield's comment has never come to my attention. But it might be supposed that he would have heartily applauded former Professor Garfield's assessment of the value of a good teacher, while noting that even the most dedicated and competent teachers and their students need strong libraries, adequate classrooms and laboratories, and the equipment and other support which undergirds the instructional process. Technological advances make all these crucial today. When alumni and friends appear on the University's behalf before the Legislative Assembly and other appropriating bodies, and when these individuals, corporations, and foundations make the financial contributions listed on the following pages, they help assure that students coming to Portland State will find good teachers and all of the educational resources needed for quality instruction and research programs. Those students and faculty members join me in appreciation to each of you for your assistance and encouragement. Joseph C. Blumel President
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