CLEVELAND — Tuesday was a historic day for Truett McConnell University in Cleveland as the institution received its largest-ever single donation.
Johnathan Gray, executive director of the Georgia Baptist Foundation, made the presentation to TMU President Dr. Emir Caner during the university’s chapel service.
The gift, from the estate of Mildred Ruth Brown, had been encouraged by TMU alumnus Larry Bryant in 1994, Gray said.
“She had received a piece of property down in Gwinnett County and decided to establish that, put it in trust with us at the Georgia Baptist Foundation, and would receive income off that gift while she was living,” Gray said. “Then when she passed away, that gift would then go to the school. That was in ’94. Over the course of the next 22 years, she would actually set up two more similar trusts of that nature.”
Brown was an only child, never married and had no children.
Gray said upon Brown’s death, they learned that she left her entire estate to Truett McConnell University.
“Miss Brown was quite a phenomenal lady — one of the first females to take drafting classes at Georgia Tech,” Gray said. “Some of the buildings that you see in downtown Atlanta are going to have her hand on those because she was involved in that.”
Gray said Brown was a longtime member of a Baptist church who “had a heart for students and a heart for Christian education.”
Gray then joined Caner in unveiling the ceremonial check.
“Now that’s the way to start a semester, isn’t it,” Caner said to surprised students.
About half of the donation will help fund a new academic building, and it will be the first new one constructed on the campus in 60 years.
The Miller Building, the current academic building, was constructed in 1958.
“We’ll drop in more than $2 million of this gift, which will be about half of what’s necessary, to build a brand new academic building, named after — now catch this — Ruth Brown did not want her name in the press and did not want it on the building,” Caner told those gathered. She wanted it named after her mother. So, we are going to do the honor of naming that building after her mother.”
Caner explained that the new Odell Brown Hall will be located behind the Miller Building.
“Other buildings have been bought, but no other academic building has been built independently,” Caner said. “Built right behind Miller, between the library and Miller, will be this new $4.5-million academic building. It will have 20 offices, 12 classrooms, psych labs for our graduate degrees in professional counseling, things of this nature, and it will create an oval for this part of campus as we grow into more and more students.”
Caner told the students Brown saved to be able to give to those who followed her.
“She literally invested all her life for this moment to spend it on something, even though she had never met you,” Caner said. “So, we are incredibly thankful for what God has done for us today.”
Previously, the largest donation to Truett McConnell that Caner is aware of was $600,000.
