Claflin University News July 24, 2021 CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY RECEIVES $1 MILLION GIFT FROM ANONYMOUS DONOR Claflin University has earned widespread respect and admiration for being among the nation's HBCUs that according to President Dwaun J. Warmack, "not only survived but thrived" during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent benefit of Claflin's steady emergence on the higher education landscape is the announcement that the University has received a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor to support the endowment. "We are extremely grateful for this impactful gift that will aid us in our strategic long-term endowment growth. It will allow us to continue providing students access to our exemplary academic programs and our world-class faculty," said Claflin President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack. "We hope this gift will inspire others to support our mission to provide an exceptional student-centered, liberal arts education that will prepare our graduates for a global society and 21st Century workforce." U.S. News and World Report ranked Claflin ninth in its 2021 list of the nation's top historically black colleges/universities (HBCUs). Claflin has earned a place among the Top 10 HBCUs in the publication's prestigious ranking for 10 consecutive years. Claflin also placed ninth in the U.S. News and World Report's Best Regional Colleges in the South rankings. "As a top ten regional college and one of the best HBCU's in the country, Claflin has a long history of filling the minds, hearts, and spirits of its students with the wisdom, passion and, values to best prepare them for successful careers and impactful lives," said the donor in a prepared statement. "This is a deep and strong foundation on which President Warmack and his team have ambitious plans to further build. I am delighted to invest in their vision for Claflin's future and I encourage others to join us in supporting Claflin at this exciting moment." Dr. Marcus Burgess, interim vice president for institutional advancement, believes the national attention Claflin received from donations by McKenzie Scott, a renowned businesswoman and philanthropist; Zoom, a global leader in video communications technology; Dominion Energy, a Fortune 500 power and energy company; and several others, have resulted in gifts from other corporations and individuals. "We are sincerely thankful for this donor's generosity," Burgess said. "This gift is a tribute to Claflin's proud legacy of producing graduates who have ascended to leadership positions in every industry and profession. We have produced outstanding visionary leaders for more than 150 years. We do not consider ourselves a 'best-kept secret,' Burgess said. "Global corporations and decisions makers in boardrooms throughout the U.S. and abroad know that Claflin is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities." Sandra M. Phoenix HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Building Capacity for Humanities Special Collections at HBCUs - Become an ally and partner with us to protect, preserve and share a more authentic record of American history. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/humanities-2019.html for more information. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/ and click on the Donate Now button to invest in this project. Your support is appreciated. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/