Philanthropist and investor Robert Smith is the latest high-profile benefactor to give to an Atlanta University Center institution in recent weeks, making a $1.5 million gift to Morehouse College in support of scholarships and a campus capital project.
Smith, a venture capitalist with more than $46 billion in investments in dozens of tech companies through his firm Vista Equity Partners, will be the namesake of a new endowed scholarship program at the college, which will use more than $500,000 of the gift to create a new outdoor student study area adjacent to Morehouse’s Ray Charles Performing Arts Center.
“Robert F. Smith’s donation of $1 million for student scholarships will have a profound impact on the lives of deserving young men who have the desire to attend Morehouse College, but lack the resources,” said Morehouse President David A. Thomas. “We appreciate his generosity and his investment in a generation of students who will follow in his footsteps as global leaders and entrepreneurs.”
Last month, fellow AUC institution Spelman College received a $30 million gift from board member Ronda Stryker and her husband William Johnston.
