Over the years, private giving has grown to be a major element in Ball State s financial picture. And much of this private giving occurred during John E. Worthen s tenure as president. In his sixteen years in office, President Worthen initiated two major comprehensive campaigns, one currently in progress, and a campaign to build the Alumni Center. The resources that have become available to the university because of these campaigns have had deep and far-reaching effects. Often, students are aware of the immediate benefits that come to them because of private gifts.
Scholarships are an obvious example.
But in some cases, they may be less aware of the real effects of gifts to the university either because they take the benefits for granted or because direct links to the funds are less obvious than with scholarships or facilities named for donors. Although there has been a significant increase in private support in the last twenty years, the history of private support for the institution stretches back to the very beginning of the university. In 1918, two brothers and their wives, Frank C. and Elizabeth B. Ball and Edmund B. and Bertha C. Ball, gave to the state of Indiana the land and buildings that were the beginnings of Ball State University. Later, the five Ball brothers contributed funds to build Ball Gymnasium, Lucina Hall, and Elliott Hall and supplied part of the cost for construction of the Fine Arts Building. Ball State Teachers College was modest, with the exception of generous donations from the Ball family.