DETROIT – Wayne State University alumnus James Anderson is donating $50 million to his alma mater, the largest gift in the school’s 157-year history.
Anderson, 80, and his wife, Patricia, are making the donation to Wayne State’s College of Engineering, which will bear their names. The money isn’t intended for bricks and mortar, but rather as an investment in people.
It will focus on supporting faculty, doctoral fellowships and student experiences as well as recruiting top-tier talent to the professor ranks and Ph.D. programs. It’s also designed to connect students with real-world job opportunities with companies nearby.
Anderson said he has lived by a motto, often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, that the best way to predict the future is to invent it. He hopes the gift will help future generations of Wayne Staters do just that.
“I’d love to see them continue in the words of Abe Lincoln, to invent the future,” Anderson told the Free Press. “And I want them to have the right attitude. The can-do attitude, not the can’t-do attitude.”
School officials called the gift transformative and said it will serve as the lead gift in a comprehensive fundraising appeal expected to launch in 2026.
“I cannot tell you how absolutely thrilled I am to be here for this absolutely incredible announcement,” Wayne State President Kimberly Andrews Espy said Friday morning to about 150 people gathered at the Engineering School for the formal announcement. “Their generosity will truly transform our campus, our city and our state.”
