FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 3, 2002

CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119

DRAKE UNIVERSITY RAISES LARGEST SUM EVER, CELEBRATES SUCCESS ON MANY FRONTS

This week Drake University is celebrating the successful completion of a $190 million fundraising campaign along with many other accomplishments including increased enrollment, improved student retention, development of a five-year strategic plan for the University and creation of new interdisciplinary centers such as the Center for Global Citizenship.

Campaign Drake, the fundraising effort launched by the University in 1997, has exceeded its goal of raising $190 million by May 31, 2002. Led by national chair Madelyn M. Levitt of Des Moines, the campaign totals $190,214,631 — the largest amount ever raised by Drake or any private college or university in Iowa. More than 20,000 individuals contributed to the campaign, including 17,163 alumni.

"The success of the campaign is compelling testimony to the leadership of Maddie Levitt and the hard work of the advancement staff and of deans and faculty members who participated in the fundraising effort," said Drake President David Maxwell. "It is also a reflection of the generosity of thousands of alumni, friends of the University and members of the community. Most of all, the campaign's success is a concrete manifestation of the commitment that our supporters have to the past and present of Drake University, and of the faith that they have in our future."

The campaign is just one of many recent achievements at Drake. Enrollment of full-time students has continued to climb to 3,789 this fall, a 7.2 percent increase since 1999. The University also enjoyed a 3 percent increase in freshman-sophomore retention this year, raising the retention rate to 83.9 percent.

By limiting tuition increases, Drake moved up to fourth from fifth place in the "best value" category for Midwestern institutions classified as Universities-Master's in the annual college rankings announced last month by U.S. News and World Report magazine. In the overall rankings of 141 Midwest universities, Drake again received the top score in academic reputation and remained in the top five.

Under President Maxwell's leadership, the University has developed a strategic vision, reviewed all academic and administrative programs and established a five-year strategic plan. Drake also is creating new interdisciplinary centers to transcend the historical boundaries between schools and colleges. For example, the new Center for Global Citizenship is designed to educate students to function effectively in different cultural contexts and to ensure that global and international perspectives and issues are an integral part of the Drake experience.

The University's celebration of Campaign Drake will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, with a private reception and dinner honoring top donors at Olmsted Center. The festivities will continue Saturday, Oct. 5, with a campus-wide celebration in conjunction with homecoming that includes a barbecue dinner, inflatable games and a concert by The Nadas from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Drake Knapp Center.

Other special events include:

• A tailgate party from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. under a tent at 28th Street and Forest Avenue. The cost is $6.50 per person.
  
  
• A dedication ceremony for Branson Plaza, which is adjacent to Hubbell Dining Hall, at 11:45 a.m. The plaza, a Campaign Drake project, is named in memory of Scott Branson, a Drake student who died in 2001 while trying to break up a fight near campus.
  
  
• The Drake homecoming football game between the Bulldogs and Valparaiso at 1 p.m. in Drake Stadium. Tickets are $7 for adults and children 15 and under are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

The three major areas of emphasis of Campaign Drake are endowment, special projects and facilities improvement.

Campaign Drake already is changing the face of the campus. The barren area long known as Hubbell Field has been transformed into the beautifully landscaped Helmick Commons, which includes Branson Plaza, a reflecting pool and the Kragie Newell Agora (the Greek name for gathering place). Helmick Commons has been made possible by Robert H. Helmick, a Drake alumnus and Des Moines attorney. and the agora project was funded by former Des Moines advertising executives Liz Newell and Jack Kragie, both Drake alumni.

The Goodwin-Kirk Residence Hall is being renovated at a cost of $12 million. Olmsted Center, built in the 1970s, is being redeveloped to better meet the needs of today's students. Other projects resulting from the campaign include the renovation of the interior of the Drake Municipal Observatory, the creation of a state-of-the-art pharmacy laboratory in Fitch Hall, an informatics laboratory in Harvey Ingham Hall, the new Adams/Bowers Actuarial Science Center in Aliber Hall and the Jane Evans Foreign Language Laboratory in Meredith Hall.