Alumnus Donates $7 Million to Villanova
Villanova University has received a $7 million commitment from Robert F. Moran, the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PetSmart, Inc. and a 1972 alumnus of the Villanova School of Business. $5 million of Moran’s gift will be used to establish the Robert F. Moran Sr. and Elenore C. Moran Center for Global Leadership at the business school. The rest of Moran’s gift will support Villanova’s track and field program.
Mike O’Neill, the Vice President for University Advancement at Villanova, thanked Moran for his gift. O’Neill said, “With this gift, Bob Moran has invested in the future of Villanova. His generous philanthropic support is yet another tremendous example that our recently launched $600 million campaign gathers continued momentum and is igniting change – for our students of today and for years to come. In many ways, Bob’s gift is a call to action to the Villanova Community. We are grateful for his leadership and inspired action.”
The gift formed part of Villanova’s Comprehensive Capital Campaign, which aims to raise $600 million for the University. The campaign is called “For the Greater Great: The Villanova Campaign to Ignite Change.” So far, Villanova has raised $313 million, more than half of its goal amount.
The Center for Global Leadership at the Villanova School of Business was established in 2007, and it has already become a flagship Center of Excellence at the business school. Moran’s $5 million gift to the Villanova School of Business will create an endowment to name the center. The gift will also provide funding for curriculum development, student scholarships for international study, and faculty research.
“I attribute a significant amount of my success to the great education I received at Villanova University,” said Robert Moran. “I feel that my 16 years of working internationally helped drive my future success and I want to pass along that same opportunity to VSB students.”
