RELEASED: Sept. 29, 2005

DANVILLE, KY—Centre College's $120-million Campaign for A More Perfect Centre has reached a major milestone:  gifts and pledges now exceed $100 million.

The largest fund-raising effort in the college's history entered August with gifts and pledges totaling $91,127,949.  Since then, thanks to an anonymous donor's $10 million deferred gift, the campaign total now stands at more than $101 million.

"While I have been confident from the outset that this day would come, it is especially exciting to reach and surpass the $100-million mark at the halfway point in the campaign schedule." says Randy Kell '69, chair of the Campaign for A More Perfect Centre.  "We still have miles to go before we sleep but this is marvelous progress."

The four-year comprehensive campaign, which entered its public phase in January 2004, will help fund student scholarships, faculty chairs and professorships, a variety of new and expanded programs, upgraded technology, new and renovated buildings and a significant increase in the size of the College's endowment.

"This is a marvelous achievement, and we cannot thank our many donors enough for making it possible," says John Roush, Centre's president.  "An important part of what sets really good colleges and universities apart is having a resource base that ensures them of the ability to maintain a critical margin of quality in all their programs.  Because of this campaign, a good Centre College is rapidly becoming better—more perfect, you might say."

The $120-million goal of the campaign includes $35 million for student scholarships, $14 million for faculty support, and $8 million for the New Horizons Fund (including new programs, laboratory equipment and technology), which will add $57 million to the College's endowment.  The campaign goal also includes $15 million for the Capital Improvements Fund, a permanent fund to support projects such as The College Centre, and $8 million for current operations.  This totals $80 million in outright gifts to the College.  In addition, the campaign goal includes $40 million in deferred gifts.

The recent $10 million gift actually puts the deferred gifts category at 114 percent of its goal.  While that is an amazing achievement and worthy of celebration, the campaign is still almost $25 million shy of its outright gifts goal.  So there is much work to be done and every member of the Centre family can make a real difference in the success of the Campaign.  But for now, there are 100,000,000 reasons to celebrate.

"Breaking through the $100-million ceiling represents a new milestone in support for Centre and signals a strong future for the College," says J. David Grissom '60, chair of Centre's board of trustees.  "This is truly exciting."

The Campaign for A More Perfect Centre will conclude at the end of 2007 and will be celebrated even more at the Associates Dinner in Louisville at the end of January 2008.  For more information on how you can help Centre, contact Brian Miller '81, director of campaign giving, toll free at 1-877-678-9822 or write bmiller@centre.edu.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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