Dreams Know No Bounds
The pursuit of dreams knows no bounds. It isn't limited to the young, the old, the rich or the poor. It requires a vision and the tenacity to follow them through to their full realization; a profound belief that one person can, and will, make a difference. For students, NKU is a place to nurture those dreams. Students of all ages walk onto campus, backpacks straining under the weight of books and laptops, ready to chase the dream of a college education and the chance for a better life.
Ralph Haile was a dreamer, too. He and his wife dreamed of a Northern Kentucky that prospered financially and provided opportunities for everyone to have a bright and secure future. He dreamed of taking the region to the next level. For nearly 30 years, Northern Kentucky University has been a part those dreams. And now, many of those dreams are becoming a reality with the help of a $15 million gift to the college of business.
"Ralph Haile was but one of a handful of people who refuse to abandon dreams the rest of us may consider impossible," said James Votruba, president of NKU, while announcing the gift at the university's fall convocation in 2008. "The gift positions NKU to meet critical regional business needs and provides a lasting legacy to the Hailes."
"NKU is a beacon on the landscape of Northern Kentucky," said Timothy Maloney, president and CEO of The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation. "This gift makes a bold statement. And there is no more appropriate way to celebrate Ralph Haile's legacy than to endow and strengthen the resources of NKU to create new generations of leadership for our region."
The gift is historic both for the university and for the foundation. It is the largest gift ever to NKU and matches the largest single-source gift ever to a public university in the commonwealth.
