Lake Forest Based Grainger Pledges to Give University of Illinois $100 Million

A hefty sum of money has been pledged to the University of Illinois from Lake Forest-based Grainger Foundation to support its College of Engineering, reported the university.

It is the largest gift to a public university, according to the Champaign News-Gazette.

The contribution, made in memory of William W. Grainger, a 1919 graduate of the university's Electrical Engineering program, is $100 million.

"We are tremendously grateful for this extraordinary gift from The Grainger Foundation, which is an investment in the future of engineering, the future of our engineering faculty and students, and, indeed, an investment in the campus as a whole. This transformative gift will ensure a chain reaction of possibilities that will fortify the campus as a preeminent, globally-recognized institution," said Chancellor Dr. Phyllis Wise.

The majority of the $100 million grant will go toward attracting top faculty members and researchers, for scholarships and to kick start a $40 million renovation to the university's Everitt Laboratory, reported Crain's Chicago Business.

Grainger is a Fortune 500 company supplying maintenance, repair and operating products