University of Delaware Applies $71.5M Gift to Support State-of-the-Art Addition to Business School
The University of Delaware announced on Tuesday, March 18, that it has received the largest donation in the school’s 282-year history. Alumni Rob and Kathy Siegfried, along with The Siegfried Group, LLP, committed $71.5 million to support the university’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.
According to an NBC10 Philadelphia report, the Siegfrieds’ gift will help create Lerner College’s Siegfried Hall. The state-of-the-art, student-focused space will house modern classrooms, research and teaching labs, an auditorium, and a student-operated cafe. Siegfried Hall will also serve as the host site of the new Siegfried Institute for Leadership and Free Enterprise, an “idea lab.” This lab will empower students to develop the capabilities of becoming effective leaders while further studying how limited government, the rule of law, and free enterprise contribute to supporting individual freedom and leadership.
“This is a transformative moment for the University of Delaware and our Lerner College of Business and Economics,” University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis said in a news release. “The Siegfrieds’ generosity will significantly advance Lerner’s critical mission of preparing the next generation of leaders, change-makers, and entrepreneurs to make an impact in the rapidly evolving world of business and economics.”
“My time at UD — my incredible professors, the many unique experiences inside and outside the classroom, my vibrant network of friends and colleagues — helped to make me who I am today,” Rob Siegfried shared in the release. “To be able to share our success with the business students of tomorrow is an incredible honor. Kathy and I, and our firm, are thrilled to invest in the world-class students, faculty, staff, and campus of the Lerner College and the University of Delaware.”
University officials hope to begin the design process for Siegfried Hall this spring. Construction is anticipated to start by 2029.
