14 Quirky College Donations (and the Strings Attached)

Ethan Trex:

For most of us, college donations entail little more than occasionally dropping a small check in the mail after receiving repeated pleas for cash from our alma maters. Some people, though, tend to be a bit more individualistic with their generosity. Let's take a look at some of the quirkier donations schools have received:

1. Bequest Puts Jocks on the Ropes

swarthmoreIn 1907, fledgling Swarthmore College received a bequest that was estimated to be worth somewhere between $1 and $3 million. If the school wanted the cash, though, it would have to stop participating in intercollegiate sports. Swarthmore badly needed the cash--its entire endowment was only in the $1 million range--but in the end, the school turned down the gift and the sports survived.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at May 11, 2010 3:42 AM
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