Former president gives to Trine campaign

Trine University has received a major gift from its 11^th president, Carl H. Elliott, Ph.D.

Elliott’s gift is part of the Invest in Excellence Capital Campaign and will be designated to an area of that campaign at the discretion of the current president, Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D.

Elliott became Tri-State College’s 11^th president on Sept. 2, 1974, serving until Sept. 1, 1983, when he was succeeded by Beaumont Davison, Ph.D. During his tenure, Tri-State became a university, changing its name from Tri-State College to Tri-State University on Aug. 1, 1975. The university was renamed Trine University in 2008.

Under Elliott’s leadership, the university received approval for its elementary education program from the Teacher Training and Licensing Commission of the Indiana Board of Education, and added degrees in computer science and marketing.

The first endowed chair at Tri-State University, the Laurence L. Dresser Chair of Engineering, was established during Elliott’s tenure.

Carl Elliott Drive, which runs by the Moyer, Bukoff, Wilson and Seculoff apartments, was dedicated on campus in his honor in October 2009.

Trine University recently announced the expansion of its Invest in Excellence Capital Campaign from its original $75 million to $125 million. The campaign, which began in 2009, has raised more than $83 million, about 66 percent of the final goal.

The expanded campaign seeks to raise a total of $30 million for the Trine Fund for operations and annual scholarships as well as $20 million for the university endowment and $75 million for capital projects.