High Point University is receiving a $12 million gift meant to provide opportunities for women as well as student scholarships. It's the largest endowment ever made to the school.
The gift comes from Elizabeth “Betty” Miller Strickland, who attended the school when it was known as High Point College.
The money will be used to establish several programs at the university. A leadership fund will be set up to focus on issues relevant to women in business and entrepreneurship. It will be administered by a newly formed women's leadership council.
Strickland says in a news release that she wants women “to be educated in empowering one another.”
A separate fund will provide scholarships for students of all genders, with a focus on returning students facing financial hardship.
In recognition of the gift, High Point is creating the Elizabeth Miller Strickland Scholarship Plaza to celebrate and inspire existing and future donors.
The endowment was announced on Wednesday, the 100th anniversary of Women's Equality Day, commemorating the 19th Amendment, which guarantees a woman's right to vote.