Hollins University, a private women’s college in Roanoke, Virginia, has announced a $75 million gift from an alumna who wishes to remain anonymous.

The largest single gift in the university’s history is also the largest ever received by a women’s college and among the largest ever given to a college or university solely by a female donor. To be awarded in $25 million increments to the Hollins endowment over the next three fiscal years, the gift will establish the Levavi Oculos Endowed Scholarship Fund, which will provide scholarships and address undergraduate financial need beginning in the fall of 2023.

“Hollins’ mission and the value of its enduring presence and direction as a progressive institution were the catalyst for my gift and the urgency of making the funds available immediately,” said the donor. “It ensures Hollins can move forward, with confidence, as an institution committed to women and the liberal arts.”

“This gift is such a profound and powerful statement about the value of higher education for women,” said Hollins University president Mary Dana Hinton. “The transformational educational opportunities created by it will have a visible and sustained impact for generations of women to come at Hollins. Most of all, this generosity will enable future students who otherwise would not be able to attend college to access that opportunity.”

(Photo credit: Hollins University)