Visionary Alumni NDSU has received the largest single gift in the school's history. The bequest will establish a series of Walter and Helene Booth Presidential Scholarships, a series of Walter Booth endowed Professorships and a Walter and Helene Booth Faculty Development Fund. All of the funds will benefit the College of Engineering and Architecture. Our students in Engineering and Architecture will surely benefit from the Booths' generosity. At the same time, the faculty endowments allow us to attract excellent faculty and keep them here.
Competition is very keen in recruiting faculty who can teach and support an active research program.
Otto Helweg, Dean of Engineering and Architecture, said the gift is important for the state of North Dakota and surrounding region. The College of Engineering and Architecture is the largest college of its type between the Twin Cities and the state of Washington. We will not spend this money now, but invest it in a number of separate endowments so the gift will support long-term objectives. Our salary scale is one of the lowest in the country and has hindered us from hiring and keeping some of the best faculty. Interest income from the funds will enable departments to offer general improvements in areas not covered by state-appropriated funds.