"We believe it will be important and very wonderful for all members of the College's diverse community to have a common space in which we can all come together. We are delighted to help create a building that will facilitate the creation of the strong bonds among students, faculty, colleagues, and alumnae that are one of the hallmarks of Wellesley College."

From the Wellesley College Illuminator, Summer 2000:

At the Board of Trustees meeting in April, President Diana Chapman Walsh announced that Lulu and Anthony Wang are donating $25 million for the design and construction of a new campus center. The gift is the largest contribution in the College's history and is the largest gift by an individual to a women's college. The trustees also approved a comprehensive campaign for $400 million, the most ambitious goal for any liberal arts college in the U.S. and more than double the size of Wellesley's record-breaking $168 million campaign that ended in 1992. The public phase of the campaign will begin on July 1, the start of the new fiscal year. A campus kick-off celebration is being planned for October.

"Lulu and Tony Wang's magnificent gift enables us to move forward with plans for a building that will enhance the intellectual life of our community. The impact of their tremendous generosity will be felt by the Wellesley community for many years to come," said Walsh. "As women become an increasingly powerful philanthropic force, this extraordinary gift sets a new threshold for giving by women for women."

Lulu Wang '66 (pronounced "Wong") is founder and CEO of Tupelo Capital Management in New York. Before founding the investment company in 1997, she was executive vice president at Jennison Associates Capital Corporation. She earned a Masters degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. A member of Wellesley's Board of Trustees since 1988, she now chairs the investment committee and is a founding member and past president of the College's Business Leadership Council. She was chair of the recently completed $10 million endowment drive for the Wellesley Centers for Women, on whose board Wang has served since 1992.

"We are honored to make this gift and to make a difference for Wellesley, which has long been the leader in educating women who will make a difference in the world," said Lulu Wang '66. "We believe it will be important and very wonderful for all members of the College's diverse community to have a common space in which we can all come together. We are delighted to help create a building that will facilitate the creation of the strong bonds among students, faculty, colleagues, and alumnae that are one of the hallmarks of Wellesley."

---