Universities Receive Millions from Anonymous Donor

Everyone knows that Cinderella had a fairy-godmother. Now some universities are also being blessed. The biggest difference? Cinderella knew her fairy-godmother and these universities have no idea who is giving them donations of up to $10 million.
In the past few months, 12 universities have received a phone call from a banker saying that an anonymous person has donated money to the university. Shortly after the phone calls, two checks will arrive to the universities, the larger check earmarked for scholarships for women and minority students and the smaller earmarked for the recipient’s discretion.
Some of the universities that have received gifts are Binghamton University in New York, Montclair State Univeristy in New Jersey, the University of Southern Mississippi, Purdue University in Indiana, and Michigan State University.
Nobody has a clue as to who the scholarship donor is; however, there are many theories. Some speculate it is a woman because all of the presidents of the beneficiary universities are women. Others speculate it is an individual who graduated from a public university, since all but one university have been public schools. The truth is though, the recipients do not care who their fairy-godmother is. They are just thankful that this good Samaritan exists.
“Clearly, whoever it is wishes to remain anonymous and I, for one, am perfectly happy to respect that,” said Susan A. Cole, president of Montclair State. “In the best of times we never have enough scholarship money for students who have financial need. In these difficult times, that is multiplied. The gift is incredibly important to us. I cannot adequately express the depth of our gratitude.”
The donor must be pleased with Cole’s reaction. In one letter that accompanied the donation, the donor wrote: “It is hoped that this will make a substantial difference to your students during these challenging times, enabling a more confident, sharper focus on their studies with improved career and life prospects.”
In these difficult economic times, it is very reassuring to hear of a story like this, which helps to restore my faith in humanity. My only question is, how can I get my school on the list?
via The New York Times.