Flagler College to receive William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust $1 million challenge grant

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL (01/17/2012)(readMedia)-- Dr. William T. Abare, Jr., President of Flagler College, announced that the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust awarded a $1 million grant to Flagler College for endowment, subject to a one-to-one match by other donors.

In expressing his appreciation to the Kenan Trust for its generous gift, President Abare said, "The William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust has demonstrated longstanding support for higher education and for Flagler College. This gift will assist us greatly in our efforts to ensure that our students continue to receive a high quality education."

Any gift to the Comprehensive Capital Campaign will qualify as part of the College's match. Gifts may be made to the College to support the Annual Fund, to establish a new endowed scholarship fund, or to help fund capital projects, such as the restoration of the Solarium or the renovation of the Auditorium. "The goal is to meet this challenge by June 1, 2012, enabling the College to receive the $1 million grant by June 30, 2012," Abare said.

This grant from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust helps launch the College's 50th Anniversary Campaign. The College will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of its founding in 2018. Through November 2011, a total of $8.4 million in cash and pledges has been raised toward meeting current and projected needs of the College.

The William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust was established in 1966, primarily to support education and excellence in teaching. The Trust has supported Flagler College throughout the institution's history with gifts for capital projects, endowed professorships, and endowed scholarships for students. Capital projects include the construction of Kenan Hall, Lewis House, the Proctor Library, and the Molly Wiley Art Building.

For information on how to help, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement, 74 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084; call 904-819-6437; or visit www.flagler.edu/support.

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Flagler College is an independent, four-year, comprehensive baccalaureate college located in St. Augustine, Florida. The college offers 24 majors, 29 minors and two pre-professional programs, the largest majors being business, education, and communication. Small by intent, Flagler College has an enrollment of about 2,600 students, as well as a satellite campus at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Florida. U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review feature Flagler regularly as a college that offers a high quality education at a relatively low cost; annual charges for tuition, room, and board are $22,500 for 2011-2012. Flagler College is noted for the historic beauty of its campus. The main building is Ponce de Leon Hall, constructed as a luxury resort in 1888 by Henry M. Flagler, co-founder with John D. Rockefeller, Sr., of the Standard Oil Company. For more on Flagler College, visit www.flagler.edu.

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