Alumni Newsletter

Share this page

Like this page

Gerald and Anita-Agnes Hassell Give $4 Million to Fuqua School of Business and Trinity College

March 21, 2012

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke University trustee Gerald L. Hassell and his wife, Anita-Agnes, have committed $4 million to support Duke's Fuqua School of Business and the university's liberal arts undergraduate college, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. Hassell is a 1973 graduate of Trinity College and is the former chairman of Fuqua's Board of Visitors.

Fuqua will receive $3 million to support endowed scholarships and the annual fund. Trinity College will receive $1 million for endowed scholarships and the annual fund.

The Hassells' gift includes $2 million in endowed scholarship funds for Fuqua students, ensuring that the school can continue to attract top students and build the diverse student body that makes the Fuqua experience so powerful. At present, 75 percent of Daytime MBA students receive some sort of financial assistance from Duke, with approximately 40 percent of scholarship grants coming from endowment.

A $1 million commitment to the Fuqua Annual Fund will enable the school to make programmatic decisions that are of immediate benefit to its graduate business students. Annual Fund dollars are a critical source of support for nearly every part of the school, including scholarships, faculty research, student experience, and program innovation.

"By giving to both our annual fund and endowment for financial aid, the Hassells' generous contribution has an immediate impact in the life of the school and affords a world-class business education to students in perpetuity," said Fuqua Dean Bill Boulding. "Financial aid plays an integral role in Fuqua's ability to attract the best and brightest students who will go on to be change makers in the global economy. We are extremely grateful to Gerald and Anita-Agnes for this gift and their steadfast belief in Fuqua's mission."

The Hassells' financial aid gift to Fuqua will create two scholarship funds: the Gerald L. and Anita-Agnes Hassell Scholarship Fund and the Blair H. Sheppard Scholarship Fund, in honor of Fuqua's former dean. The Sheppard scholarship, which will support international students at the business school, was named in recognition of Sheppard's commitment to establishing Fuqua as the world's first truly global business school and his ongoing work in promoting global education at Duke.

The couple's $1 million commitment to Trinity College will be divided evenly between the annual fund and the Gerald L. and Anita-Agnes Hassell Undergraduate Scholarship Fund. 

"The Hassells' gift supports our most fundamental commitments-our commitment to attract talented people from all possible backgrounds and our commitment to make ongoing investments in our curriculum so we're preparing today's students to lead in a changing world," said Laurie Patton, Dean of Arts & Sciences.

"My involvement with Duke as volunteer has given me a deep appreciation of the rich opportunities available to both undergraduate and business students at the university," said Gerald Hassell. "Duke is a school that goes far beyond academics to engage students in using their knowledge and passions to make an impact. I'm delighted to be able to help both Trinity and Fuqua continue to create the dynamic leaders the world needs."

Gerald Hassell is the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of BNY Mellon. He earned a BA in economics from Duke University and went on to get his MBA at NYU's Stern School of Business. He has served on Fuqua's Board of Visitors since 1999 and, until July 2011, was the Board's chair. Hassell began his tenure on Duke University's Board of Trustees in July.

Anita-Agnes and Gerald Hassell have been steadfast donors to the Fuqua and Trinity College annual funds. Their past support also includes endowing the Spencer R. Hassell Professorship at Fuqua, contributing to the expansion of Fuqua's facilities, and creating a scholarship in support of undergraduate students in Trinity College. The Hassells have two children; their daughter, Alyssa, earned a BA in environmental science and policy from Trinity College in 2008.