CANTON, N.Y. — St. Lawrence University alumna Sarah Johnson and her parents, Charles and Ann Johnson, have donated a $25 million “unrestricted gift” to the school.
The donation represents the “largest gift in the university’s 161-year history,” St. Lawrence said in a news release issued Saturday.
Johnson, who graduated from St. Lawrence in 1982, is a member of the university’s board of trustees and co-chair of the university’s upcoming fundraising campaign. She is also a film producer.
Sarah Johnson had previously provided $10 million for the school’s Johnson Hall of Science. That $10 million gift had been the school’s largest donation until now.
Dedicated in October 2007, the school says it was the first LEED gold-certified science building in New York. LEED is short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
The St. Lawrence University news release describes the Johnson family as “leading American philanthropists in arts and education.”
“This extraordinary vote of confidence is a life-altering gift for St. Lawrence in its proportions and intentions and will allow the university to fund myriad priorities in people and programs,” William Fox, president of St. Lawrence University, said in the release. “The Johnsons believe in what makes this place so special, and their exceptionally generous giving helps advance St. Lawrence for today’s students and the generations to come.”
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com