Northwestern receives $101 million gift

EVANSTON, Ill., Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Northwestern University announced a $101 million gift Wednesday, the largest in its history, from alumna Roberta Buffett Elliott.

The donation by Elliott, a 1954 graduate and sister of Berkshire Hathaway CEO and philanthropist Warren Buffett, will fund scholarships for international students and create the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Studies on the Evanston, Ill., campus. It is part of the school's "We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern" fund drive, which aims to collect $3.75 billion.

"Bertie's (Mrs. Elliott's) extraordinary commitment and her unprecedented generosity to Northwestern will fundamentally transform every corner of the University's global programming," President Morton Schapiro said.

"In our conversations over the past several months, Bertie and her husband, David, expressed their appreciation for what Northwestern has already been doing in terms of its global outreach, while recognizing that the University could have a much greater impact on the world with expanded and new programs. She is a truly visionary philanthropist, and we are honored to have her trust. Bertie was convinced we couldn't wait any longer to get this Institute underway and that Northwestern was its perfect home."

The Buffett Institute will focus on global issues that include the study of religious movements, democratic political systems, economic development in poor regions of the world and immigration policy.