For Katie Lula, the KU First capital campaign wasn’t about dollars and cents, a national ranking or new building projects.

For her, the campaign — which raised $653 million for Kansas University, officials announced Friday — was about making a dream come true. The funds raised included a scholarship that allowed her to study in Italy last spring.

“I dreamed about going to Europe since I was in third grade,” said Lula, now a KU law student. “It was a great experience, dreaming about doing something that was out of your grasp for so long, and then suddenly being able to do it.”

About 225 university officials, donors and volunteers gathered Friday night at the Kansas Union Ballroom for the official unveiling of the KU First total. The $653 million topped not only the initial goal of $500 million but the new goal of $600 million, set in November 2003 after the initial goal was met.

It was the largest fund-raiser in university history and more than doubled the $265.3 million raised in “Campaign Kansas,” which ran from 1987 to 1992.

“This speaks volumes of the tremendous dedication of people at every level of the university,” Chancellor Robert Hemenway said. “There are so many positive things that have occurred during this campaign.”

The $653 million, given by more than 100,000 donors, included:

• $113.6 million for student support, including the creation of 493 new scholarships.


Frank Sabatini, Topeka, left, Forrest Hoglund, Dallas, and Scott Ritchie, Wichita, talk during the KU First campaign party in the Kansas Union Ballroom. The KU Endowment Association held the event Friday to announce the KU First campaign raised 53.8 million.

• $65.5 million for faculty support, including the creation of 65 new endowed professorships.
• $132.3 million for research programs and facilities.
• $97 million for building improvements and new structures.

Of the money, 75 percent of funds already have been given to the university, with the rest in pledges and planned estate gifts.

“KU’s future is a future that has been empowered by KU First,” Hemenway said.

9-11 impact

The campaign officially ran from 1998 through 2004. Its official kickoff gala was Sept. 7, 2001 — just four days before the 9-11 terrorist attacks and the recession that followed.

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“We had that great event, then Sept. 11 happened and everything kind of went into a blue funk and the markets went down,” said Forrest Hoglund, of Dallas, the campaign’s chairman. “I know some wondered if we would make the $500 million.”

But Hoglund, a semi-retired energy executive, said the hard work of volunteers and the KU Endowment Association — which he said was “as strong as I’ve ever seen it” — overcame the obstacle after an initial slowdown in giving. The association said volunteers and staff made 16,000 personal contacts with potential donors.

Joye Barksdale, a spokeswoman for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in Washington, D.C., said 9-11 hurt many universities’ fund-raising campaigns. But she said KU benefited from having time both before and after the recession included in the campaign.

“Because of the length of these fund-raising campaigns — usually six or seven years — you find yourself in a couple different economic cycles,” she said. “We’re hearing good things right now about the economic climate. Other institutions are having success with their goals.”

Aerospace engineering student Matt Landavazo, a Topeka sophomore, climbs the staircase overlooking the computer lab at Kansas University's Eaton Hall. Construction of the new hall, which opened in 2003, was financed in part with a million donation from Robert J. Eaton of Naples, Fla., as part of the KU First fund-raising campaign.

But as universities are hitting their goals, she said many schools — faced with sagging state support — were upping the ante. She noted that the State University of New York system just announced a $3 billion campaign.

“The point is, things tend to be progressing at a pace that $5 billion is no longer an unimaginable goal,” she said.

Moving ahead

Though KU First’s overall goal was reached, several projects remained unfunded. Those include a new science building, an addition to the Spencer Museum of Art and an expansion of the Natural History Museum. Overall, the campaign also fell short of its goals in four areas:

• $113.6 million was raised for student support, compared with a goal of $116 million.
• $65.5 million was raised for faculty support, compared with a $91 million goal.
• $23.3 million was raised for the arts and humanities, compared with a goal of $28 million.
• $9.1 million was raised for science education, compared with a goal of $45 million.

Hemenway said he was especially disappointed the drive hadn’t raised more money for graduate student scholarships and fellowships. He said overall scholarships would be a focus for fund-raising in the future, especially with tuition on the rise.

Dale Seuferling, president of the Endowment Association, said the association was up to the challenge.

“Major campaigns of the nature of KU First are a significant milestone in the history of the institution,” he said. “You look back, and you realize that buildings and programs that you’ve started to take for granted weren’t here before previous campaigns. And I think with this campaign same will be true going forward.”

Students493 new scholarships,Rieger Scholarship Hall$113.6 millionGoal: $116 millionPercent of total: 17%Faculty65 new professorships, professional development$65.5 millionGoal: $91 millionPercent of total: 10%ResearchFellowships, new facilities$132.3 millionGoal: $94 millionPercent of total: 20%OutreachDole Institute of Politics, Center for Urban Child Health$26.6 millionGoal: $25 millionPercent of total: 4%Science educationMuseum renovations,new lab space$9.1 millionGoal: $45 millionPercent of total: 1%Arts & HumanitiesFuture museum expansion$23.3 millionGoal: $28 millionPercent of total: 4%Information TechnologyEaton Hall, library support$46.8 millionGoal: $35 millionPercent of total: 7%Sense of placeMalott Gateway, newfacilities, landscape plan$121.5 millionGoal: $66 millionPercent of total: 19%In addition to these categories, some general gifts were made:Enhancement of Academic program$66.6 millionUnrestricted – University wide$22.8 millionUnDesignated$25.7 million