The University of San Diego has announced a $50 million gift from board chair Don Knauss and his wife, Ellie, in support of its School of Business.

The gift will help fund construction of the Knauss Center for Business Education, which will house the Free Enterprise Suite, a space designed to help seed student startups; the Student Success Center, which will bring advising, career development, mentoring, and other services under one roof; the Busch Family Torero production studio — named in recognition of a gift from Kim and Andy Busch — for creating mock interviews, videos, podcasts, and other tools to help students develop their personal brand; the Dennis Zocco and Dan Rivetti Finance Lab — funded by the Kokua Na Lani Foundation — designed to help students develop advanced financial analysis skills; and the Nexus Theatre.

Scheduled to open in the fall of 2022, the 120,000-square-foot building, together with the renovated Olin Hall, will more than triple the size of the business school, which will be renamed in recognition of the gift.

“This is our investment in educating ethical and compassionate business leaders — leaders who enable a free enterprise system that creates wealth on a fair and equitable playing field,” said Knauss, former CEO of Clorox. “Without the creation of wealth, no society can take care of its most vulnerable, lift the standards of living of its citizens, or make the investments needed to preserve this planet for future generations.”

“Many business schools across the nation focus on graduating aspirational leaders,” said Knauss School of Business dean Tim Keane. “At USD, however, our focus goes deeper, to the very heart of who we are as a Catholic institution. Our focus is on true stewardship — on caring for and protecting society, on using what we learn in the classroom and in the world for good. We are incredibly grateful to Don and Ellie for their generous gift and visionary leadership in support of our mission.”

(Photo credit: GettyImages/Siestacia)