More than 30 years of MSU history will envelop Wharton Center’s Great Hall today as all living MSU presidents, past and present, will be under one roof for the first time in more than 10 years.
The widow of Walter Adams, along with former presidents Clifton R. Wharton Jr., Cecil Mackey, John DiBiaggio, Gordon E. Guyer and current President M. Peter McPherson will congregate for the start of MSU’s massive five-year long capital campaign, called The Campaign for MSU.
“It sends a powerful message that we all have enormous respect for this university,” said DiBiaggio, who served as president from 1985-1992 and is making his first trip to campus since 1992. “We’re very proud of being associated with Michigan State University.”
DiBiaggio spearheaded MSU’s first capital campaign from 1986 to 1994 when the goal was set at $160 million.
In comparison, trustees are looking at more than a $1 billion goal for this fund-raiser, Vice President for University Development Chuck Webb said.
“This is a wonderful moment for Michigan State University,” Webb said. “Many of the successes we are experiencing are because of them.”
The final goal and focus for the fund-raiser will be set at a special Board of Trustees meeting at 10:30 a.m. today in Kellogg Center’s Lincoln Room.
Trustees said a focus could be placing donations in an endowment fund. Endowments are pools of money that are restricted to the donor’s use and gain interest during several years.
Afterward, the 61 members of McPherson’s campaign cabinet, which includes major donors and former and current administrators, will hold a luncheon. At 1 p.m., each school will have meetings across the campus between deans and potential major donors.
All of those events lead up to the public unveiling of the campaign at 4 p.m. in Wharton’s Great Hall.
“It’s a major event in the life of the university - I hope it is successful,” said Mackey, who served as president from 1979-1985. “MSU has a record of succeeding in ventures like this.”
But can MSU succeed with a potential goal of $1 billion?
“I’m convinced that whatever the goal is, the momentum is there,” said Guyer, who was president from 1992-1993. “Whatever they make it, they’ll make it.”
MSU Trustee Dee Cook - one of the campaign’s national chairpeople, is ready for the event.
“We’re going to have a dynamite program at the Wharton Center,” Cook said. “It just makes it a grand celebration to have all those who played a key role in making the university here.”
After the public meeting and reception, 700 campaign members, donors and alumni will have dinner at Kellogg. Each diner paid $50 for the chance to sit down with presidents from the past, as well as McPherson and his cabinet.
“To have all the living presidents available is important here literally and symbolically,” McPherson said. “Everybody is excited about coming.”
DiBiaggio said he is glad to come back to MSU.
“The campus keeps growing and it’s as busy as ever,” he said.
“It’s pretty remarkable. I feel like I’m at home.”
Kristofer Karol can be reached at karolkri@msu.edu.
