This is a first for me
So that was the real hook
about the scholarships and that's why I want to
really get involved and
I don't know that much about it
but I want to learn
and I want to be involved with the students
So this is a new adventure for me
The gift he's making to SDSU is a very transformational gift
in that it's going to support scholarships for the university at a very high level
The minimum amount of students each year who will benefit from his generosity
150 students a year who will have opportunities
to do things they never would have never had the opportunities to do
and that's really an amazing gift, amazing investment in our students
amazing investment in the future
The idea of scholarships for students intrigued me
That's what it was because I know how difficult it is
I have two grandchildren going to college right now
They both go to, one's going to Indiana University the other to Purdue
which I love and back when I was going to school it was no big deal to work your way through school
Now it can't be done really it's very difficult and expensive
When I just started thinking about it it turns out everybody that
works for me went to San Diego State and I've been
So we've been connected for years and years and years
And I said in a joking matter we finally made it legal
The more I got into it I had already made my decision
I made up my decision when I went to see the dean you know it was a done deal
I was told from the office all people could hear was a lot of laughter
It was a done deal and I feel so right about it so very right
I'm proud to be officially connected to San Diego State
We need to raise more and more money and have more and more philanthropies supporting the university
This gift helps us a lot in continuing the momentum of our campaign
I still I check myself every so often and it appears it's the right
thing for me to do is to share this excess well
and to grab a line from Andrew Carnegie who said excess wealth is a sacred trust
to be distributed for the good of the community during one's lifetime
and that has stuck with me right from day one and I like that
the conditions of my philanthropy because I'm still active in business
that I have to have in my gut a lot of conversation, dialogue
that won't work much, it's got to be there right from the get go
When I built that emergency and trauma center at Mercy that was instantaneous
It was done at a breakfast and I was so anxious that it be underway
I insist on signing a pledge because I was going on a trip
Which would have bound my estate and I'm crazy and I've never been pleased with anything
I'm pleased with everything I've done in philanthropy and right now my favorite is San Diego State
He's really a caring man has a wide range of interests
and I think he wants to make a difference in the world because he's been lucky to
have the resources to do things and he wants to give back as he thinks
that somebody of his wealth should do
and he's a real community resource we are lucky to have him in San Diego