A Havertown kid who studied mechanical engineering at Drexel in the 1970s just made the biggest philanthropic statement in the university’s history.
W. Nicholas “Nick” Howley is giving Drexel University a historic $112.6 million gift, the largest the school has ever received and more than double its previous record, reports Susan Snyder for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The donation from the Cleveland-based Howley Foundation will establish Drexel’s new Howley College of Engineering and Computing, renovate major learning spaces, and expand scholarship support for students.
It also lands just months after the same foundation gave $74 million to St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, Howley’s high school alma mater, in what school officials believe was the largest gift ever made to a U.S. Catholic high school.
Howley, a 1975 Drexel graduate, grew up in Havertown before going on to cofound TransDigm Group Inc., a Cleveland-based aerospace parts manufacturer.
He and his wife, Lorie, lead the Howley Foundation alongside their daughter, Meg Howley, who also earned a Drexel degree.
The family’s investment is split between people and place.
About $76 million will support scholarships and programming for students from select schools, primarily in Philadelphia and Cleveland.
Roughly $36 million will fund about 55,000 square feet of new classroom, lab, and collaborative space, including an immersive learning center and an innovation garage named for Howley’s father, Walter N. Howley Jr., a 1951 Drexel graduate.
Once complete, the new college will serve about 5,000 students across more than 60 degree programs.
“I am proud to support Drexel’s mission as a global leader in experiential education,” said Howley in a news release. “The university’s model provides a true return on investment for all students who earn a Drexel degree and I believe it is the best way to encourage upward social and economic mobility.
The complete details on how the historic donation will reshape engineering and computing education at Drexel are waiting in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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