William Penn University receives $1 million from anonymous donor

By VALINN McREYNOLDS
The Oskaloosa Herald

OSKALOOSA Tue, May 13 2008

— William Penn University Announced Thursday at its monthly Board of Advisors meeting that it is the recipient of a $1 million donation.
This donation is completely anonymous. William Penn President Richard Sours stated at the meeting that “only the bank knows who the donor is but is instructed to remain silent.”
The $1 million will be used for academic scholarships. The check will be received next week and the scholarships available for the 2008-2009 school year.
The only clue given by Sours at the meeting to who the donor could be was that “it is a contact of a contact of Vice President for Advancement Steve Noah.”
Sours stated that the intent for the donation was “to provide financial support to deserving students.”
The donation comes after the reaccreditation of William Penn University. “This very generous gesture is also a reaffirmation that Penn is moving in the right direction, and this donor wants the university to succeed in its mission to provide a quality educational experience,” Sours said.
There are 75-100 Penn students who receive Named Scholarships each year and this donation will help fund the education of more students.
Director of Financial Aid Cyndi Peiffer stated that there were 124 academic scholarships given during the 2007-2008 academic year.
“Academic scholarships are important because they reward students for their high academic standards as well as offer financial assistance,” Peiffer said. She also stated that, “these scholarships are just one lifeline for an institution to help attract quality students in making college more affordable.”
Sours made sure to clarify at the meeting that this donation is completely anonymous and it could be the gift of one person or a collection of multiple people. He ended the announcement by thanking the donor for the generosity bestowed upon the university.