The University of St Andrews is celebrating what is believed to be one of the largest single gifts ever given to a Scottish university.
A $5 million dollar (about £4.06m) donation from a former student will allow the university to establish a chair in philosophy and public affairs and an endowed lectureship in American Literature.
The donation from the Shelby Cullom Davis charitable fund was arranged by Christopher C Davis who studied moral philosophy and practical theology at St Andrews and graduated in 1987.
The chair in philosophy will be named after his grandfather, Shelby Cullom Davis.
St Andrews will use the donation to recruit the highest calibre of international humanities staff to its School of English and School of Philosophical, Anthropological and Film Studies.
The creation of an endowed lectureship in American Literature, also supported by donations from American alumni, deepens St Andrews’ relationship with the literary superpower.
Three signatories of the Declaration of Independence passed through St Andrews, and it was the first British university to teach American literature.
As a philosopher himself, Christopher Davis specified that the major part of his gift should be used to fully endow a chair in philosophy.
He said: “I owe more to St Andrews than I can say.”
St Andrews Principal, Professor Sally Mapstone, said: “This donation represents a very significant investment in two of the pillars of learning – a sense of the value of critical enquiry, and the skills that help us to seek it.”
The university set the goal of creating these positions as part of its 600th anniversary fundraising campaign, launched by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The donation means the campaign reaches a major milestone of £75 million toward its £100m target.
