Kenneth Fisher donates $2.5 million for GSB library

His gift will help fill the library with important texts and electronic information resources for students taking classes at the GSB's building downtown.

"As an entrepreneur, I've found my GSB education invaluable over the course of my career," Fisher said. "I'm proud to be associated with the GSB and the University of Chicago, and I believe in sharing my good fortune to support the life of the mind, one of the greatest human needs."

"We are grateful to Ken Fisher for his generosity," said Robert Hamada, Dean of the GSB. "This is a fantastic start to building a tremendous resource for our students. Ken has made a lasting contribution to the education of business students and entrepreneurs for decades to come."

Fisher, chairman and chief executive officer of Encore Computer Corporation in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., credits the GSB's Executive M.B.A. Program with teaching him to adapt the language of finance to the business of technology. He advanced from vice president of operations at Honeywell Information Systems to president, CEO and director of Prime Computer, maker of high-powered minicomputers, in 1975. In 1981, he formed Kenneth G. Fisher Investments; two years later, he formed Encore, which designs, manufactures, distributes and supports shared mainframe storage.

The Fisher gift is among those to the Campaign for the Next Century, which will conclude on June 30. As of April 14, total gifts to the campaign had surpassed $634 million, the most ever raised by a Chicago-area institution in a single capital campaign. The goal for the five-year campaign is $650 million. The largest fundraising effort in University history, the campaign is concentrating on raising endowment for faculty support and student financial aid, and on construction funds for an expanded athletics, recreation and fitness complex.