Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, has announced a five-year, $25 million pledge from trustee R. Michael Shanahan and his wife, Mary — the largest gift in the school's history.

A significant portion of the gift was awarded in October and will be used to help advance the college's strategic plan, HMC 2020: Envisioning the Future, which focuses on six themes: innovation, leadership, and impact; focus on experimental and interdisciplinary learning; unsurpassed excellence and diversity at all levels; nurturing and development of its population; global engagement and informed contributions to society; and infrastructure improvements.

A longtime supporter of the college, Mike Shanahan has been a member of its board of trustees since 1992 and chaired the board from 1998 to 2006. He is also chairman emeritus of Capital Research and Management Company, which manages the American Funds.

"The Shanahans' leadership has always been exemplary, but this gift is a real testament to their commitment to our college and its mission," said HMC president Maria Klawe. "During these challenging economic times, we're very fortunate to have supporters with their vision be willing to step up and make such a bold and generous statement about the value of the education we provide and its impact on our society."