White Family Foundation commits $25M to support ‘Victories & Heroes’ campaign

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — On Saturday (Feb. 14), Purdue University President Mung Chiang announced a $25 million commitment from the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation to the university and “Victories & Heroes: Your Campaign for Purdue.” The gift will support three of the university’s strategic initiatives: Purdue’s comprehensive urban expansion in Indianapolis, $10.2 million; One Health, $1.9 million; and the Mitch Daniels School of Business, $12.9 million.

The White Family Foundation has been a key strategic partner for Purdue over the years, spearheaded by Dean and Barbara’s son, Bruce (BS management ’75), and daughter-in-law, Beth (BS nutrition science ’87). Bruce, who died in January 2023, was founder and chairman of White Lodging. A former member of the Purdue Board of Trustees (2011-15), he was among the inaugural inductees into the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Hall of Fame. White was also a highly regarded advocate and influencer for numerous hospitality, business and civic organizations, with his associated values and vision still active today.

Chiang made the announcement during the President’s Council luncheon at the Purdue for Life Foundation’s Annual Week in Naples, Florida. 

“Since launching the public phase in 2025, our ongoing campaign for the future victories and heroes of Purdue students and faculty has been even more successful than we anticipated, and this monumental gift will accelerate and amplify progress across three of the four strategic pillars,” Chiang said. “The Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation has long been an impactful leader and philanthropic partner in advancing excellence at scale, and few Boilermakers have been more dedicated than Bruce and Beth White. Bruce will always be remembered as one of our greatest Boilermakers — a dedicated citizen and inspiring leader. We are deeply grateful that Beth and the Foundation have chosen to support Purdue’s strategic directions.”

This gift will support Purdue’s expansion of the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) program to Indianapolis in fall 2026. Launching HTM in Indianapolis will enable Purdue to establish new partnerships with industry, expand its statewide impact, and support talent development for current and expanding hospitality and tourism infrastructure investment in the capital city.

The move will also help Purdue HTM build on recent momentum: The program rose to No. 3 nationally and No. 7 globally in the ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects in 2025 and has seen strong interest from prospective students for both the West Lafayette and Indianapolis locations, reflecting the program’s reputation for providing world-class educational experiences.

“Purdue University is dedicated to attracting and retaining Indiana’s best and brightest talent, expanding the number of enrolled students to keep up with demands from students and industry. This foundational investment in HTM in Indianapolis certainly sets us up for success,” said Ceridwyn King, the associate dean for Indianapolis and strategic initiatives for the College of Health and Human Sciences and White Lodging Services Head of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

“This gift is timely because it will allow us to provide competitive scholarships, faculty and programming that will launch the program with strength,” King said. “We are deeply grateful for the White Family Foundation’s continued support and investment in future ‘hospitalitarians,’ who will propel the hospitality and tourism industry forward through excellence and innovation.”

This contribution from the White Family Foundation will also provide ongoing support for the Brush Creek Frontier Summit, an annual thought leadership conference for the Daniels School where Purdue leaders engage in high-level discussions with national figures on business, policy and ethics.

The Whites and the White Family Foundation have a long history of impactful giving to Purdue in support of HTM, the Daniels School and thought leadership, including:

• A transformational commitment in 2023 to support the Daniels School and name the Bruce White Undergraduate Institute
• A commitment in 2022 that helped establish the Dean V. White Real Estate Finance Program. This move positioned the university as a top destination for educating future real estate finance professionals and fueled momentum to launch the Daniels School.
• A commitment in 2021 that helped the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management attract top talent to the West Lafayette campus. In recognition, the school was renamed the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
• Investments to transform the Union Club Hotel, bringing to life a hospitable haven for campus visitors while ensuring Purdue’s hospitality and tourism management students participate in hands-on learning experiences.

“We are proud to partner with Purdue to develop and implement strategic priorities that will continue to shape the future of higher education,” said Bill Hanna, executive director of the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation. “This gift, and our overall partnership with Purdue, is about cultivating innovative and relevant world-class education and creating leaders prepared to make an impact in hospitality and business, consistent with Purdue University’s reputation and the legacy of the White Family.”

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.

About the Purdue for Life Foundation

The Purdue for Life Foundation helps friends and alumni of Purdue University stay connected, get involved and give back. Created on March 11, 2020, the foundation deepens alumni ties to Purdue, drives and coordinates all alumni-related activities across the Purdue family’s postgraduation lives and works with alumni and friends to garner support for the university. Our organization combines the alumni engagement function of the Purdue Alumni Association and the University Development Office, and it includes President’s Council and the John Purdue Club, as well as alumni lifelong learning programs and on-campus residential opportunities. Learn more at https://purdueforlife.org/.