Oct. 31, 2001

Ford Motor Company Fund will contribute $3.26 million to Duke University to support university initiatives that include undergraduate and graduate scholarships, community outreach programs, academic programming, minority recruiting, facilities and services, Duke President Nannerl O. Keohane announced Wednesday.

Duke is one of 31 institutions in Ford's College Relations Sponsor Program (CRSP), which intends to develop long-term relationships between Ford Motor Company Fund and major educational institutions.

"This latest grant is especially important because it supports a number of initiatives that have been identified by our schools, as well as university priorities identified in Building on Excellence, the long-range academic plan approved by our trustees," Keohane said. "We are most grateful to Ford and its continuing and generous support of our university."

An example of the Ford-Duke partnership is the Fuqua School of Business's Ford Minority Workshop, a four-day event designed to recruit high-potential minority candidates to Duke. Ford also supports the business school's MBA Games, which are organized by Fuqua students to raise money for the Special Olympics. Ford is the largest single supporter of the MBA Games since they began in 1989. And the library in the Fuqua School's Thomas F. Keller Center for MBA Education is named the Ford Library in recognition of the Ford Fund's contribution to the school's new student center, which is now being constructed.

Ford's donation also supports the Automotive Engineering Students Projects Program in the Pratt School of Engineering, which involves active collaboration and interaction among undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty.

"We are pleased to recognize Duke University's achievements in education, and hope to help enrich this school through our contributions," said Kathleen Oswald, executive director, Human Resources Customer Operations at Ford Motor Company. "In helping to strengthen the entire university, particularly the areas of business and engineering, we hope to encourage all students to realize their educational goals."

Trinity College Scholarships for Underrepresented Minorities and Women, the Provost's Opportunities Fund and Duke's SafeRides Program also will receive funding from the Ford donation.

"I am particularly impressed by the degree to which Ford officials were responsive to our commitment to improve the educational experience of our undergraduate students, as well as students in our graduate and professionals schools," said Duke Provost Peter Lange. "Ford's support of the Provost Opportunities Fund ensures that we will be able to provide support for new initiatives, our current facultyand existing programs."

The Duke-Ford relationship began in 1985. Since then, Ford has donated more than $5.26 million, and continues to recruit and employ Duke graduates and professional school degree holders.

Since 1949, Ford Motor Company Fund has supported not-for-profit organizations, and last year Ford Fund contributed more than $38 million to education initiatives. In addition, Ford Fund has contributed more than $82 million to organizations taking innovative steps to enrich the communities where the company does business.

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