$100M Gift for the University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky has received a $100 million gift for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the largest in the university’s 160-year history.

UK alum and former trustee Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, who died last year, bestowed the gift through the Bill Gatton Foundation.

“Our college has served Kentucky and beyond for over 150 years with ‘user-inspired science,’ aiming to push boundaries in education and service,” said Nancy Cox, the university’s vice president for land-grant engagement and CAFE dean. “We are grateful for the confidence placed in us by the Gatton Foundation, which will allow us to both accelerate our land-grant mission and create new programs to serve our citizens.”

She said the college will assemble a task force of faculty and staff to determine exactly how the gift will be used to support scholarships, academic programming, infrastructure and research in keeping with the foundation’s mission.

“Mr. Gatton believed that investing in the University of Kentucky was investing in Kentucky's future,” said Gatton Foundation trustee Danny Dunn. “This gift marks a significant milestone for the foundation, representing its first major donation since his passing.”

Gatton has donated more than $180 million to UK, making him the university’s largest single donor.