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African-American and financially disadvantaged students nationwide will have the opportunity to apply for scholarships at the University thanks to a $25 million donation from Enterprise-Rent-A-Car Co.
This gift, which will endow a permanent fund, is the largest ever made for undergraduate
 Announcing a $25 million gift from Enterprise Rent-A-Car Co. Oct. 18 in Umrath Lounge are (from left) John F. McDonnell, chairman of the University's Board of Trustees; Andrew C. Taylor, president and chief executive officer of Enterprise Rent-A-Car; Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton; and James E. McLeod, vice chancellor for students and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. |
scholarships in the University's history and will establish the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Endowed Scholarship Fund. Scholarship recipients will be known as Enterprise Rent-A-Car Scholars.
The announcement was made Oct. 18 by Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton, Enterprise Rent-A-Car President and Chief Executive Officer Andrew C. Taylor and Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation President Jo Ann Taylor Kindle.
"The Enterprise Rent-A-Car gift is the largest the University has ever received for undergraduate scholarship support, and it guarantees that a minimum of 30 to 40 deserving students will be able to attend Washington University as undergraduates each year," Wrighton said. "The gift will provide scholarships that will continue in perpetuity."
Each year, half of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car fund's earnings will be directed to African-American students who will be selected based on criteria established by the University's John B. Ervin Scholars Program, which administers scholarships to exceptional African-American students on the basis of academic merit, leadership skills and commitment to community service. The John B. Ervin Scholars Program is named in memory of the University's first African-American dean.
"The more we do as a University to encourage diversity and have our workplaces diverse, the more our society will benefit," said James E. McLeod, vice chancellor for students and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. "This gift will enable us to support more students who might otherwise be shut out of the opportunity for a Washington University education."
The other half of the fund's earnings will support students who require financial assistance. Additionally, approximately 10 percent of the scholarships awarded will be reserved for high school graduates and community college transfers from the St. Louis region.
Taylor said he, his sister, Jo Ann Kindle, and their father, Jack C. Taylor, chairman of Enterprise Rent-A-Car and a longtime friend of the University, initiated the gift to support a "world-class University located in Enterprise's hometown of St. Louis." The Taylor family strongly believes that the strength and overall excellent reputation of the University serves as a magnet to attract talented individuals to the St. Louis region.
Both Jack and Andrew Taylor serve on the University's Board of Trustees, and Jack attended the University before serving in the Navy during World War II.
"Washington University is one of the top-ranked institutions in the country, and Enterprise wants to help it develop the best and brightest minds from all segments of our society," Andrew Taylor said. "We hope this gift will encourage many students to pursue their undergraduate education here, and that our gift will inspire others to support scholarships."
The Enterprise gift supports the Campaign for Washington University. One of the objectives of the campaign is to raise $175 million in new scholarships and fellowships for students.
Accepting the Enterprise Rent-A-Car gift, Wrighton said, "The Taylors are great citizens of our community in so many ways. Their company's gift to the University demonstrates Enterprise Rent-A-Car's commitment to expanding opportunities for deserving young scholars from throughout our society to attend Washington University."
Founded in 1957, Enterprise Rent-A-Car has nearly 4,800 offices located throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland. It is the largest rental car company in North America and was named by CIO magazine as one of the "100 Companies Most Likely To Succeed in the Next Millennium."
Fortune magazine lauded Enterprise Rent-A-Car as one of the "100 Best Companies To Work For" in 1999. For the past three years, Black Collegian magazine has ranked it as the largest recruiter of college graduates among the country's Top 100 Employers.
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