In 2001, Gordon Moore, the co-founder of chip manufacturer Intel and author of many scientific papers and patents on semiconductors, gave the California Institute of Technology a massive $600 million gift to keep that institution, which he described as a “national treasure,” on the forefront of science and tech research. The college announced that a portion of the gift would go to its endowment, but most would be spent for research projects and the hiring of new investigators. It became the largest donation ever to a single college or university. Moore has made many other gifts to Caltech as well, most recently $100 million in 2015 for a fund that will eventually provide fellowships for every Caltech graduate student. He also served on the university’s board of trustees for decades.
- Caltech 2001 release, caltech.edu/news/caltech-receives-600-million-two-giftslargest-academic-donation-history-526
- Caltech 2015 release, caltech.edu/news/100-million-gift-gordon-and-betty-moore-will-bolster-graduate-fellowships-47392