Auburn recently announced a capital program with the ambitious target of raising $1 billion in donations to fund scholarships, faculty growth and new facilities at Auburn University. The “Because this is Auburn” campaign was publicly launched during the kickoff celebration prior to Auburn’s A-Day spring game.

The school announced that it received a record $57 million single donation from John and Rosemary Brown, Auburn graduates from 1957.

“We are very happy to give back to Auburn,” said John Brown. “Auburn was a transformative educational experience for us, preparing Rosemary for her career in teaching and laying the foundation for my various roles in industry.” (Auburn media release)

The $57 million will go towards a performing arts center as well as a student center at the college of engineering. “We wanted to do something that not only impacted Auburn students, but also something that would impact the entire community,” said Rosemary Brown. “That is why we decided to do both the student center and the performing arts center.”

How did John Brown make his money? Brown was the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Stryker Corporation, a billion dollar medical device company. The $57 million donation is the largest single gift in Auburn history.