By any standard, the Fisher College’s campaign was a huge success. The college increased
its original goal of $65 million in 1992 to $90 million in 1999. At the close of the campaign on June 30, $95.2 million in private gifts and commitments had been raised as part of the university’s $1 billion “Affirm Thy Friendship” campaign.

Over $35 million of the $95.2 million raised has been committed to construction of the college’s new six-building complex, with $60 million to college programs, including the establishment of 70 new endowments.

The success of the campaign is clearly visible in the college’s new facilities. Made possible
by the generous gifts of such benefactors as John B. (Bernie) Gerlach and Max M. Fisher in the early years of the campaign and, more recently, with major gifts from Betty and Alex Schoenbaum, Raymond E. Mason, Jr. and the friends and family of John K. Pfahl, the new business campus is one of the finest in the world. From the high-tech class and seminar rooms in Gerlach, Schoenbaum and Pfahl halls to the computing and media labs in Mason Hall, the new buildings contain state-of-the-art equipment for on-site and distance learning.

More than mere bricks and mortar, however, the new facilities are best regarded as “enabling devices” for the programs and learning that takes place within them. The $60 million raised for college programs has made possible not only the enhancement of existing programs but the creation of new initiatives for students, faculty and the business community, programs such as the Fisher Council on Global Trade and Technology, which brings world leaders to campus; a symposium in real estate funded by HER Realtors; faculty teaching and research endowments, including the John W. Berry, Sr. Chair in Business and the John W. Berry, Sr. Fund for Faculty Excellence; and a number of student fellowships and scholarships.

The creation of these new programs could not have been possible without the generous support of the college’s many friends and benefactors. Their commitment, generosity and guidance are helping to shape the Fisher experience for generations to come.

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