Five Million Dollars Donated for the Upkeep of the University's Art Exhibits
Lehigh University Receives $5 Million Gift from Alumnus Kenneth R. Woodcock
In a significant philanthropic move, Kenneth R. Woodcock '65, a distinguished alumnus of Lehigh University, has donated $5 million to the Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG). This generous gift, the largest ever received by LUAG, will have a profound impact on art education and engagement for students and the community.
The structured gift, which includes both outright and bequest components, will be administered by Director William Crow. The funds will be allocated through the Woodcock Director's Fund, which has been established to preserve LUAG's teaching collection and enhance art education.
The Woodcock Director's Fund will provide critical and flexible support for LUAG, enabling the institution to broaden learning opportunities for students, provide access to diverse art collections, and foster greater community involvement with the arts. Specific details about the gift's particular influence on Lehigh University would require direct sources or official university announcements.
Woodcock's philanthropy is not limited to Lehigh University. He is also a National Trustee of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in Philadelphia and has previously given a $2 million gift to endow a curatorship at PAFA.
Woodcock's passion for art extends beyond his philanthropic endeavors. He believes that art allows him to learn more about world history and hopes to help others learn through his service and philanthropy. Woodcock shares Director William Crow's vision that art can be an interdisciplinary engine for teaching, learning, and research.
After graduating from Lehigh in 1965, Woodcock began his career with DuPont and served in various government positions. He was involved in the founding of the AES Corporation and retired as a senior vice president in 2004. Woodcock and his wife, Dorothy, are actively involved with various nonprofit organizations, including the Washington National Cathedral, Washington National Opera, Choral Arts Society of Washington, Washington Concert Opera, Preserve Rhode Island, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
In addition to his contributions to LUAG, Woodcock has created a music recording studio at Zoellner Arts Center and supported renovations to Linderman Library at Lehigh University. The rotunda at Linderman Library is named in honor of Woodcock.
President John D. Simon '19P expressed his gratitude for Woodcock's commitment to enhancing arts at Lehigh. The arts play a central role in the intellectual experience of students, staff, and faculty at Lehigh, and this generous gift will undoubtedly enrich that experience for generations to come.
While the provided search results do not contain information regarding Woodcock's $5 million gift to Lehigh University Art Galleries or its impact on art education and engagement for students and the community, further research may uncover more details about this significant philanthropic contribution.
- Kenneth R. Woodcock, a distinguished alumnus of Lehigh University, has donated $5 million to the Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG), which will have a profound impact on art education and engagement for students and the community.
- The Woodcock Director's Fund, established by this generous gift, will provide critical and flexible support for LUAG, enabling the institution to broaden learning opportunities for students, provide access to diverse art collections, and foster greater community involvement with the arts.
- Woodcock's philanthropy is not limited to Lehigh University; he is also a National Trustee of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in Philadelphia and has previously given a $2 million gift to endow a curatorship at PAFA.
- Woodcock's passion for art extends beyond his philanthropic endeavors, as he believes that art allows him to learn more about world history and hopes to help others learn through his service and philanthropy.
- The arts play a central role in the intellectual experience of students, staff, and faculty at Lehigh University, and this generous gift from Woodcock will undoubtedly enrich that experience for generations to come.
