By Michael Walsh
A donation of $8 million made by the Carol A. Ammon Foundation ranks as the largest gift CCSU has ever received and as a result, the CSU Board of Trustees voted to name the CCSU Schools of Arts and Sciences the Carol A. Ammon School of Arts & Sciences.
The gift, which will be used to fund student scholarships and academic program support, was announced at a press conference in Hartford on Friday by President Jack Miller.
“I am very pleased to announce this historic gift for the university,” said Miller in a CCSU-issued press release. “Carol Ammon’s passion for learning and success in life serve as an inspiration to all of our students.”
Miller acknowledged the importance of the money because of how many students at CCSU balance work and family while trying to receive an education.
“Her wonderful generosity will make an important difference in our students’ lives for generations to come,” said Miller.
Ammon graduated from CCSU in 1973 with a B.A. in biology. A native of Hyde Park, N.Y., Ammon currently lives in Delaware.
Ammon serves as the chairman of the board of trustees for the Christiana Care Health System and is well-known for her achievements as founder and CEO of Endo Pharmaceuticals. Ammon retired from the company in 2007.
“I am deeply grateful to CCSU and to the professors who helped me discover my passion for science and my joy for learning,” said Ammon in the press release. “My experiences at Central, including the mentoring I received and the confidence I developed, helped establish the foundation for my financial and career success. Now I want to do the same thing for others who want an excellent education.”
According to the press release, the first Carol. A. Ammon Foundation scholarships will be awarded to students this fall.
The CSU Board of Trustees decided to name the school of arts and sciences after Ammon at today’s board meeting, and Chairman Karl Krapek recognized that the board “deeply appreciates this extraordinary act of generosity” and that the “lives and futures of Central students will be profoundly influenced” by Ammon’s gift.
