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NEWS RELEASE

01-26-01

Contacts:
Thomas Mitchell, ISU Foundation President, 515-294-4607
Steve Sullivan, News Service, (515) 294-3720

WRIGHT GIFT ENDOWS CHAIRS IN FINANCE AND ECONOMICS

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University has received a deferred gift of $3 million from alumna Deloris Wright, Golden, Colo., which will be used to fund endowed chairs in economics and finance.

"Without the degree from Iowa State, I could never have done what I'm doing now," said Wright, an economist. "I am very fortunate to have a job that I love. And because I am so happy with my life, I feel a very strong need to try to help others who may be in the same financial situation I was when I first started out."

She committed $1.5 million each for the Wright Endowed Chair in Economics and the Wright Endowed Chair in Finance. The economics chair will be held by a woman. It will provide an opportunity for a female professor to be a role model for students, said Wright.

"Young women seldom think of entering fields where no role models exist," said Wright.

Wright recently pledged $20,000 for a multimedia classroom in Music Hall. She also has supported the Carrie Chapman Catt Center and the Legacy of Heroines Scholarships. Wright is an ISU Foundation governor and a member of Order of the Knoll, Iowa State's most prestigious donor recognition club.

Wright received her bachelor's degree in economics from Oklahoma State University in 1969. She earned her doctorate in economics from Iowa State in 1973. Wright is vice president Charles River Associates of Boston, an economics consulting firm.

"Gifts for endowed chairs such as Deloris Wright's have a tremendous impact on recruiting faculty," said Thomas Mitchell, ISU Foundation president.

The Iowa State University Foundation assists the university by securing and managing private gift support from individuals, corporations and foundations. It recently completed Campaign Destiny: To Become the Best by raising more than $458 million in five years, of which more than $14 million was designated for faculty support.

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