Imagination. Innovation. Inspiration.

These themes were the focus of my remarks on April 23, when we gathered in Hinkle Fieldhouse to celebrate the successful conclusion of Butler Beyond: The Campaign for Butler University. At our celebration, Beyond Grateful, I announced that 34,804 donors had collectively contributed more than $263.5 million to the Campaign and that the new sciences expansion building connecting Gallahue Hall to the Holcomb Building has been permanently named Levinson Family Hall in honor of a $10 million commitment to the project from Frank ’75 and Kristin Levinson.

Over the past decade, I have invited you to imagine the possibilities for Butler University. Today, I invite you to imagine even greater possibilities. Imagine advancing Butler’s mission through improvements to the perimeter and gateways to campus, where we have opportunities to enhance our world-class educational, athletic, and arts programs, while preserving buildings that house the memories of generations of alumni and current students: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Jordan Hall, Atherton Union, Irwin Library, Clowes Hall, and ResCo; expand access to new educational programs beyond the traditional undergraduate residential campus; and provide new opportunities to maintain and further improve the quality and affordability of a Butler education for all deserving students. These and other innovations will strengthen Butler as we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education and the changing needs of learners, while maintaining the academic mission that makes our University special.

At the April 23 celebration, I also highlighted some of the ways our community members have served as an inspiration to us all by personifying The Butler Way—throughout the Campaign, throughout the pandemic, and throughout their lives. I cited the extraordinary work of our faculty and staff, who have tirelessly committed their talent, adaptability, and generosity to Butler; our students and alumni, who affirm the value of a Butler education every day; our trustees, whose giving to the Campaign has reached nearly $56 million and whose service and wisdom has brought Butler to this point; our community organizations, which have invested in Butler’s vision, mission, and people; and the Campaign donors—Andre and Julia Lacy, the Levinson Family, and Bill ’51 and Joanne Dugan—who have honored our institution through the school and buildings that bear their names.

In this issue of Butler Magazine, we feature many stories about philanthropy. As you read them, please know how grateful I am, on behalf of the University, for all the ways you are helping to make an impact in the lives of our students and in the communities we serve. I simply could not be more proud of all the people who make Butler a truly great institution of higher learning.