The Hall Family Foundation in Kansas City has announced a $42 million pledge to the University of Kansas. The gift — the largest private donation for a college or university in Kansas history — will benefit four areas: life sciences; the humanities; the Edwards Campus, and the KU School of Business.

Of the $29.5 million the Hall Family Foundation designated for life sciences, $27 million will help fund a new research facility at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City. The new facility will bring together the resources of KU's institutes for brain research, genetic medicine, and the Center for Proteomics, where researchers study proteins and the ways they can be used to treat diseases. Another $1.5 million will help fund a program at the Medical Center that provides seed funding for researchers seeking federal research grants. The foundation also pledged $500,000 for each of three endowed professorships — one in molecular biosciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, a second in genomics at the Higuchi Biosciences Center, and the third in business at the KU School of Business. Humanities programs at KU will receive up to $7 million. The foundation also pledged $5 million toward construction of a new building at KU's Edwards Campus in Overland Park. The building represents the first phase of a $71 million expansion of the campus and will feature an auditorium, classrooms, and offices.

"If the knowledge-based needs of the future are to be met, the importance of higher education in our area must be a view that is shared by all," said Hall Foundation chairmain Donald J. Hall. "We believe that the KU grant will broaden the range of intellectual capital within our community and will make our region a more diverse, more forward-looking and more compelling place to live and work."