Academics

Tracy and Ted McCourtney renew commitment to liberal arts with a $2 million gift

Longtime Penn State philanthropists Tracy and Ted McCourtney are supporting the McCourtney Institute for Democracy and the goals of Dean Clarence Lang with their third leadership gift during Penn State’s current fundraising campaign

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Tracy and Ted McCourtney, two of Penn State’s most ardent supporters, recently made a $2 million gift to the College of the Liberal Arts, to be divided evenly between the McCourtney Institute for Democracy — for which the McCourtneys provided the naming gift in 2014 — and the College of the Liberal Arts Future Fund.

Tracy and Ted McCourtney have supported Penn State, and especially the College of the Liberal arts, for more than 30 years. Credit: Courtesy of the College of the Liberal ArtsAll Rights Reserved.

This is the third leadership gift made by the McCourtneys during the University’s current fundraising campaign, “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence.” Their latest commitment follows a $3 million gift in 2016 to establish the Tracy and Ted McCourtney Endowed Professorship Matching Gift Program, which resulted in six endowed professorships in the College of the Liberal Arts; and a substantial gift in 2019 to establish the McCourtney Civil Discourse Initiative Fund, which enhances the McCourtney Institute’s efforts to support scholarship, collaboration and activities that serve to promote respect and open-mindedness in political discourse for all of American society.

Tracy earned her degree in English in 1965; Ted is a graduate of Notre Dame University and Harvard University. Named Penn State’s Philanthropists of the Year in 2013, the couple have been Penn State benefactors for more than 30 years. Their prior gifts include undergraduate scholarships, fellowships and scholarships for graduate students, additional faculty professorships, and support for the Moore Building renovation and expansion.

“Tracy’s first gift to the University was a $5 contribution to the College of the Liberal Arts in 1969,” said Penn State President Eric Barron. “What an astounding legacy of philanthropy and leadership has been built by both Ted and Tracy since then. This latest gift is a testament to Tracy’s loyalty to her alma mater and to the couple’s endorsement of the college’s goals and priorities under the leadership of Dean Clarence Lang and the work of the McCourtney Institute under Director Michael Berkman. We are honored to count Tracy and Ted among the University’s most devoted benefactors and members of the Penn State family.”

Half of the McCourtney’s gift provides discretionary funds for the college through the College of the Liberal Arts Future Fund. Clarence Lang, Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts, said he plans to designate the funds to faculty development, recruitment and retention and to ongoing or new diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the college.

“It is hard to put into words how deeply grateful I am to the McCourtneys for their continuing support,” Lang said. “Their generosity has touched every facet of the college from students to faculty to programs and even infrastructure. With their latest gift, they are helping us advance the important work we do to make the humanities and social sciences relevant and meaningful through education, research and outreach.”

According to Michael Berkman, director of the McCourtney Institute and professor of political science, the portion of the gift designated for the McCourtney Institute will be added to its existing endowment and used to make enhancements to the institute’s Mood of the Nation Poll  and further disseminate its findings to the academic community and the general public. The Mood of the Nation Poll is unique in the world of public opinion polling because it allows citizens to respond in their own words about issues in politics and current events, rather than simply agreeing or disagreeing with predefined statements.

“This generous gift will allow us to build the necessary infrastructure to support the poll and take it to the next level,” Berkman said. “The poll has enormous potential, and we are thrilled to have Tracy and Ted’s support to harness it.”

After graduating from Penn State, Tracy assisted foster children and families in New York City as a social worker before becoming a full-time stay-at-home mother to the couple’s four children. After serving his country in the U.S. Navy and graduating from Notre Dame and Harvard, Ted embarked on a distinguished career as a venture capitalist with Venrock and subsequently with his own company, Saw Mill Partners.

“We are excited to continue to use our philanthropy to promote the College of the Liberal Arts and the McCourtney Institute and to play a role in their successful future,” said Ted McCourtney. “This gift represents the confidence we have in the college’s new dean, Clarence Lang, and in his plans for the college going forward, as well as the enthusiasm we have for Michael and his team in the institute. This is an important time in America, and we are pleased with what is happening at Penn State.”

This gift will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.

Last Updated March 2, 2021

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