Impact

At the 2009 President's Dinner, President Ed Ray thanked members of the 1868 Society for the dramatic improvements their gifts are bringing to campus. He cited examples including the dedication of Kearney Hall, the beginning of construction of the Linus Pauling Science Center, and the launch of the Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families, concluding, "The impact of your participation in Oregon State University has never been clearer."

Achieving the highest donor recognition level in the 1868 Society, the new Harris Society members who were honored at the dinner exemplify the tremendous impact alumni and friends are having on university programs.

For students: Enhanced academics and athletics
Recipients of the Dan Poling Service Award, Sue and Ken Poorman have contributed countless hours of service to OSU, in addition to their financial gifts. OSU Athletics and the College of Business are especially close to their hearts, and their gifts have supported funds for improved facilities, scholarships, and more.

On the academic side, they helped to transform the historic dormitory of Weatherford Hall into a unique living-learning environment for the Austin Entrepreneurship Program. They also have supported construction of Valley Football Center, Truax Indoor Center, and Reser Stadium. Having worked closely with university leaders for many years, the Poormans witnessed the vital importance of flexible unrestricted funds. Their most recent commitment will provide support for the Dean's Fund for Excellence in the College of Business and the Athletic Director's Contingency Fund.

For Oregon: Increased capacity for Oregon 4-H
As the developer of Salishan Lodge, Sunriver, Skamania Lodge, and Portland's Water Tower and waterfront condos at Johns Landing, John Gray has made an incredible impact on the state of Oregon — and so has his philanthropy.

Thousands of youth participate in fun, educational programs at the Oregon 4-H Center in Salem every year. They'll soon have more room, in all kinds of weather, thanks to John's $1 million gift to build a new covered activity center at the site.

For the world: Expanded opportunities at the Open Source Lab
Over the last four years, support provided by search engine giant Google has allowed OSU's Open Source Lab to vastly expand its capacity. Today the lab hosts some of the world's largest and most far-reaching open source efforts, impacting millions of users. With students and staff serving as key contributors to collaborative software development projects worldwide, OSU is considered a global academic leader in open source development. Read more about their latest gift.

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