Wayne State President Irvin D. Reid and his wife Pamela Trotman Reid have announced that they will make a $600,000 donation to the university. The bulk of the amount will support the Irvin D. Reid and Pamela Trotman Reid Endowment in Global Education. The remainder will be directed throughout the university to the various schools and colleges and to the honors and athletic programs, as well as the Journalism Institute for Minorities.

Reid made the announcement at Charter Night, a black-tie dinner held for the university's Anthony Wayne Society on Nov. 6 at The Max in Detroit, just adjacent to Wayne State's campus. The Anthony Wayne Society consists of Wayne State friends, faculty and alumni who have donated $10,000 or more to the university.

Wayne State's global education and international programs provide students access to everything from the study abroad program and the English Language Institute to Fulbright Scholarships. It also is a means of internationalizing the academic curriculum.

"Pamela and I see this gift as a way of offering students a greater opportunity to enhance their knowledge from a global perspective," Reid said. "It is also our hope that this gift will help continue the process of preparing Wayne State students for the challenges and opportunities of the real world."

Eugene Applebaum, chair of the upcoming capital campaign and one of the university's most prominent alumni, noted that the donation demonstrates exceptional commitment and leadership by Reid, who came to Wayne State seven years ago.

"This generous gift demonstrates President Reid's personal commitment to higher education and to Wayne State that is matched only by the professional commitment he has demonstrated repeatedly as president of this university," Applebaum said. "We believe that this noteworthy gift from Irvin Reid and his wife Pamela will serve as an example and a motivation for others who may be considering a donation to this great university."

Susan Burns, associate vice president for development and alumni affairs, said she believes the contribution is among the largest sum ever gifted by a university president in Michigan.

"President Reid has stepped up to the plate and set a new standard for philanthropy among college executives in the state," Burns said.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.