“This reflects on the great work that our faculty, staff and students do at McPherson College,” Michael Schneider, the school’s president, told Bloomberg.
The $1 billion donation is part of a fundraising drive that the college launched last year. An anonymous donor said they’d give up to $500 million, gifting $2 for every $1 donated by June 30. But McPherson ended up bringing in $342 million, and the donor decided to increase their contribution into the 10 figures.
Despite its small size, McPherson is lauded as the only school in the United States that offers a bachelor’s degree in automotive restoration. The college has on its campus some impressive vehicles, including a 1914 Ford Model T Speedster, a 1956 Austin Healy 100 M Le Mans, and a . Students themselves have worked on projects like rewiring a 1932 Paul Harris Roadster and restoring a 1971 Corvette to standards accepted by the National Corvette Restorers Society., for example, has endowed two scholarships at the college.