Converse College Receives Kresge Grant
The Trustees of The Kresge Foundation have approved a $750,000 challenge grant for Converse College. Funding from the grant, awarded in early December, will go toward construction of the school’s Phifer Science and Technology Building. Under the terms of the Kresge challenge, Converse must raise $2.3 million by July 1, 2003.
The 36,000-square foot Phifer Science and Technology Building will house the departments of biology, chemistry, and computer science at Converse. The building will be designed for 21st century flexibility, student/faculty research, interdisciplinary teaching, and in-lab lectures. “With this grant, we are able to ensure that Converse majors have the space and the resources they need to pursue their scientific interests,” said Nancy Oliver Gray, president of Converse College.
“Kresge Foundation grants signify a prestigious stamp of endorsement in an institution,” said President Gray. “To earn this grant, we demonstrated to the Foundation the exceptional quality of our teaching, scholarly activity and community out reach.”
The Kresge Foundation grant represents a significant milestone in the Campaign for Converse, a five year $75 million campaign that affects every aspect of the college. “The Kresge Challenge is going to be a tremendous catalyst for our Campaign efforts as we broaden and deepen our donor base,” President Gray added. “This is the best of times for the friends of Converse to invest in the future of the college.”
At the time of the December 2001 grant announcement, the Foundation had awarded 164 grants for a total of $111,467,000. “That Converse was able to compete successfully against many other national applicants shows that the mission and vision of the college continues to impress donors at the local and national levels,” said President Gray. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, The Kresge Foundation is an independent, private organization created by the personal gifts of Sebastian S. Kresge in 1924. The Foundation is not affiliated with any corporation or organization.