Ralph Haile grew up in Cincinnati, and after a stint as a pilot in World War II, lived there while pursuing a career in community banking in Northern Kentucky. When he passed away in 2006, he and his wife Carol Ann, who died in 2004, left a legacy that has become one of the largest charitable foundations in the region.
The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./US Bank Foundation just announced a landmark gift -- $15 million to the Northern Kentucky University College of Business. It is the largest gift in the 40-year history of NKU, and matches the largest single-source gift to a public university in the history of Kentucky. "This is a unique gift for a unique institution," says Timothy Maloney, president and CEO of the Haile Foundation. "Our investment in the College of Business is an investment in the future of our region."
The gift will establish endowed chairs for faculty and support for faculty recruitment, retention, and development, as well as provide scholarships to support business students and their international experiences. It also will expand NKU's Finance Investment Program. The college will be named The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./US Bank Foundation College of Business. The gift will create the first endowed chair for a college of business dean in Kentucky and three endowed chairs for faculty.
"Through this gift, (Haile's) influence will continue to be felt by both students and our region for generations," says NKU President James Votruba.
Writer: David Holthaus
Source: Chris Cole, NKU
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