Lafayette Receives Gift of $27.9 Million to Support Science and Technology
A major gift from Trustee Kent Rockwell ’66, one of the largest contributions in the College’s history, will enable Lafayette to strengthen its programs in fields at the intersection of the life sciences, technology, and engineering.
Lafayette College has received one of the largest contributions in the College’s history from Trustee Kent Rockwell ’66. The gift, made to a trust that Rockwell established benefiting the College, was in the form of stock that was sold for $27.9 million.
The gift will support initiatives in science, technology, and innovation at the College, which is known for its distinctive combination of liberal arts and engineering programs.
“We are immensely grateful for this extraordinary and historic gift,” says Lafayette President Alison Byerly. “Lafayette is committed to becoming a leader in offering innovative educational programs in fields at the intersection of the life sciences, technology, and engineering. Kent Rockwell’s vision and generosity will enable us to strengthen our efforts in this area significantly.”
The gift is expected to support a new interdisciplinary science facility at the College.
Kent Rockwell ’66
Rockwell has been chairman and CEO of Rockwell Venture Capital, Inc. since 1983. The firm invests in technology-based engineering products and services. He serves as chairman and CEO of Rockwell Forest Products and of ExOne, a global provider of three-dimensional printing machines and printed products to industrial customers. He also is chairman of Strata Proximity Systems, which provides safety systems for mines.
Rockwell graduated with a major in economics and attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He was elected in 2009 to his second term as a Lafayette trustee. He also served on the board from 1971-75.
He established the S. Kent Rockwell ’66 Scholarship Fund to provide financial aid to Marquis Scholars at the College. His father, Willard Rockwell, through the Rockwell Foundation, established the Rockwell Foundation Scholarship Fund.