:: The Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance::

Renaissance Circle Society

Corporations & Foundation Charter Members as of April 2008

Anonymous

$1 million for the Athletic Performance Center

Caterpillar Inc.

$30 million gift in support of the College of Engineering and Technology and the Foster College of Business Administration

Caterpillar Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and a wide offering of related services, has a long history of generously supporting Bradley. The industry-education partnership is a mutually beneficial relationship with a rich array of interactions including more than 2,400 current Caterpillar employees and more than 750 retirees who are Bradley alumni; hundreds of students who work as interns at Caterpillar facilities, and faculty who conduct applied research and teach graduate and certificate programs to Caterpillar employees worldwide.

Caterpillar’s financial support of Bradley began in 1947 with a gift of $70,000. Over the years, Caterpillar and the Caterpillar Foundation have supported scholarships for Caterpillar dependents and for students majoring in engineering, business, or one of the natural sciences; contributed to faculty development through research grants and faculty recognition programs; and donated equipment and supported capital projects, including the renovation of Jobst and Baker Halls, the renovation of the Hewitt Gymnasium into the Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts, and the Neumiller Lecture Hall in Bradley Hall. In 1986, Caterpillar and the Caterpillar Foundation made a $5 million lead gift to the $26 million Campaign for Bradley, and again, in 1994, the Caterpillar Foundation took a leadership role in the Centennial Campaign with a $20 million gift. In recognition of that outstanding campaign support, the University initiated the Caterpillar Endowed Professorship Program and the Caterpillar New Initiatives Program and named the Caterpillar Global Communications Center.

As founding partners of PeoriaNEXT, Bradley and Caterpillar continue to collaborate. Currently Bradley’s College of Engineering and Technology is assisting the Caterpillar Technology and Solutions Division in developing new certificate programs with an emphasis on new project design, development, and manufacturing.

Illinois Mutual – Mike McCord

$1.2 million for general facilities renovation, the E.A. McCord Endowed Scholarship,
and the Braves Scholarship Society

Following in the footsteps of his father, Robert A. McCord; his grandfather, E. A. McCord; and his great-grandfather, O.L. McCord, who founded Illinois Mutual in 1910, Michel McCord became CEO in 1990. Under his leadership, Illinois Mutual, which specializes in life and disability insurance, grew from more than $315 million in assets to over $1.2 billion in 2006.

Mr. McCord is a graduate of the University of Arizona. Mr. McCord has been an active supporter of the University. He served as a member of the Bradley Council from 1997 until 2004, when he became a member of the Board of Trustees. He has served on the Chiefs Club Board of Directors from 1979 until 1981, and as a member of the Foster College of Business Administration’s National Council of Advisors.

He and his wife, Kay, have been members of the Braves Scholarship Society and established the McCord Lectureship in honor of his father. They have five children.

Methodist Medical Center

$1 million for the Markin Family Student Recreation Center

Methodist Medical Center is a respected healthcare facility in Peoria. Among its services are world-class cardiovascular care, pioneering cancer treatment, innovative diagnostic services, wellness classes, comprehensive behavioral health services, and more. Methodist Medical Center and Bradley University are among the members of Peoria NEXT, a collaboration focused on local science and technology-based economic development. Employees of these organizations participate in activities that will help develop an entrepreneurial spirit among Peoria’s scientists and engineers.

At Methodist Medical Center’s helm is Michael Bryant, president and CEO, who came to Peoria in 1999. Mr. Bryant and his wife, Paula, have been strong supporters of the University and have been sponsors of the Braves Scholarship Society. They were recognized as Honorary Alumni in 2007.

Robert '77 MBA '78 and Carolyn Turner

$3 million endowment gift to establish an endowed Turner Chair of Entrepreneurship

Robert Turner, Jr. received his bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1977 and his MBA a year later. Following his academic work, Mr. Turner was recruited by Arthur Andersen and later worked as a consultant for McMillan/Eubanks. From 1985 to 1990, he was senior equity manager and director of research for Meridian Investment Company. In 1990, he left the company to start Turner Investment Partners, Inc. with his brother Mark Turner, who graduated from Bradley in 1980. Today the company manages more than $15 billion in assets for its clients.

In 2000, Robert and his wife, Carolyn, endowed the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship at Bradley and, in support of the Renaissance Campaign, they endowed a professorship in entrepreneurship in the Foster College of Business Administration. Mr. Turner has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 1998. He and Carolyn are parents of three sons and a daughter and reside in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. Their son Andrew Turner plans to graduate from Bradley in 2010 with a degree in communication.