INDIANAPOLIS – Craig Fenneman ’71 and Mary Stover-Fenneman have made a $5 million commitment to Butler University. The gift will provide support for the expansion and renovation of the University’s sciences complex, construction of the new building for the Andre B. Lacy School of Business (LSB), the Craig Fenneman Endowed Scholarship, and future University priorities.
Fenneman earned his Butler undergraduate degree in Economics in 1971, and has served as a member of the Board of Trustees, including serving as Board Chair from 2011-2014.
“Butler University is a school on the rise and we are proud to support the incredible work happening on campus,” Fenneman says. “My own life has been shaped by my Butler experience, and Mary and I are pleased to help ensure Butler remains a premier institution for future generations of students.”
The gift will help enhance the University’s sciences facilities, which has been a top priority under the Butler 2020 strategic plan. In recognition of their gift, the couple will be honored, along with other lead donors to the sciences expansion and renovation project, in the new atrium of the sciences complex.
Fenneman established the Craig Fenneman Endowed Scholarship in 2003 to benefit students pursuing an economics degree in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Endowed scholarship support is among Butler’s current chief funding priorities as the University seeks to ensure the long-term sustainability of its financial aid program. Butler annually invests more than $78 million in student scholarship support.
The couple’s support for the new building for the LSB places them with 11 other families in the Founders Circle, a group of lead donors who have committed $1 million or more to the project since 2016. The new building will open for classes in fall.
“Butler students in each of our six colleges have directly benefitted from Craig and Mary’s generosity throughout the years,” says Provost Kate Morris. “Their gifts are improving the quality of our teaching facilities, increasing student access through scholarships, and strengthening our ability to partner with the local community in providing experiential learning opportunities for our students.”
Fenneman and Stover-Fenneman are honorees of Butler’s premier philanthropic giving community, the Carillon Society, and recognized on Cornerstone Plaza for their generous lifetime giving to Butler. Their previous philanthropic support has benefitted the Butler Fund, the Campaign for Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Butler Rising Campaign, and the Butler Business Consulting Group.
“We are deeply grateful to Craig and Mary for their significant investment in the lives of our students,” says Butler President James Danko. “Butler University is experiencing an exciting era of growth, and this transformational commitment will fuel our vision for the future.”
About Butler University
An influx of philanthropic support has aided Butler University’s dramatic growth in recent years. Pursuant to the Butler 2020 Strategic Plan, the University and donor partners have invested in new campus facilities, academic programs, and co-curricular offerings. In the past five years, Butler has built the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts, the Sunset Avenue parking garage including a streetscape beautification project and renovated Hinkle Fieldhouse. In addition, the University partnered with American Campus Communities to build the Fairview House and Irvington House residential communities. The Andre B. Lacy School of Business will open the doors to its new 110,000 square foot home in the fall of 2019, and fundraising is underway to complete a $93 million Science Complex expansion and renovation.
Butler University is a nationally recognized comprehensive university encompassing six colleges: Arts, Business, Communication, Education, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Pharmacy & Health Sciences. Approximately 4,500 undergraduate and 541 graduate students are enrolled at Butler, representing 46 states and 39 countries. Ninety-five percent of Butler students will participate in some form of internship, student teaching, clinical rotation, research, or service learning by the time they graduate. Butler students have had significant success after graduation as demonstrated by the University’s 97% placement rate within six months of graduation. The University was recently listed as the No. 1 regional university in the Midwest, according to U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings, in addition to being included in The Princeton Review’s annual “best colleges” guidebook.