Henry Tippie speaks at the dedication ceremony at Kirkwood Community College on Thursday night.
Iowa native Henry B. Tippie honored at ceremony following $1.1 million gift
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (May 11, 2017)-Kirkwood Community College dedicated the Tippie Business Education Center at Nielsen Hall in a ceremony today on Kirkwood’s main campus. The center was named in recognition of a $1.1 million gift made to the college by Iowa native, businessman and philanthropist Henry B. Tippie.
The latest chapter in a 25-year history of giving to the college, the donation will be added to the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Business Scholarships Endowment, which was established in 2012 with a $1 million gift. This new gift will have many benefits for the college, its students, and the region, as business degrees prepare students for positions in all industries. In addition to making an education more affordable for many Kirkwood business students, the college’s research shows those that receive scholarships are two-and-a-half times more likely to graduate.
According to Kirkwood President Mick Starcevich, the latest gift will have long-lasting effects on the Corridor just like the previous donations by the Tippie family.
“Henry and Patricia have been incredible supporters of Kirkwood and its mission for a very long time,” said Starcevich. “Their generosity through the years has had a major impact on the lives of many students. This new contribution to the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Business Scholarships Endowment will enable more students to get a high-quality, affordable education for years to come. The Tippies’ ongoing support of our students, our college and our region is very inspiring. The naming of the Tippie Business Education Center at Nielsen Hall is our way of showing our appreciation for all that they have done.”
Henry and Patricia Tippie have supported Kirkwood through various donations for the last quarter century. Beginning in 1992, their initial gift helped establish the Tippie-Mansfield Center in Henry’s hometown of Belle Plaine. In the years that followed, additional donations established the Tippie Beef Education Center as well as various endowments that support the Belle Plaine Heritage Agency on Aging, an endowed faculty chair award and hundreds of student scholarships.
Kirkwood Vice President of Development Kathy Hall pointed to the Tippies’ continued commitment to higher education as a model of generosity.
“Mr. Tippie has always lived by the values he learned growing up on a farm near Belle Plaine,” said Hall. “Henry and Patricia have been unfailingly philanthropic to Kirkwood and many other institutions for decades. Their consistent friendship and support has transformed opportunities for students at Kirkwood, and their legacy will open doors for years to come. We can’t thank them enough.”
Since 2015, 85 Kirkwood business students have been awarded the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Business Scholarships Endowment. This new gift will increase the impact of the scholarship for generations to come.