The UMass Dartmouth Charlton College of Business announced the receipt of a $3 million gift from the Charlton Family Trust tonight at its annual Blue and Gold Gala on October 4. The gift will help finance an $11.4 million Charlton College Learning Pavilion, which will include an auditorium, technology enhanced classrooms, and a stock trading floor where students can learn investment skills and strategies.

This is the second $3 million gift to the college by the Charlton Family Trust. Ten years ago, the Trust provided funds to build the new Charlton College building behind the Claire T. Carney Library. The Learning Pavilion will be an addition to the main building.

Under the terms of the gift, $1.5 million will be used to match other gifts, creating an incentive for Charlton College alumni, friends, and corporate partners to participate in the fundraising campaign. Tonight's Blue and Gold Gala itself is expected to raise at least $75,000.

"It has always been my contention that state operated universities need to go after the large monetary gifts that are given so often to wealthy private colleges and universities," said E.P. "Chuck'' Charlton II, who has been a frequent visitor to the Charlton College and has supported several initiatives at the school, including a business plan contest based on the lessons of the Charlton family business.  "I am excited about reaching the goal and being a part of providing southeastern Massachusetts with one of the finest business schools in New England and the nation.  It is truly a vision of the future."

Chuck Charlton is the grandson of Earle P. Charlton, for whom the college is named. Mr. Charlton was the successful entrepreneur who founded the E.P. Charlton & Co. 5 & 10 Cent store, starting with one outlet in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1890 and developing it into a major chain of 53 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada. His endeavor was an integral part of what would become the worldwide Woolworth's
enterprise.

"As I have come to know Chuck Charlton and his family, I have learned that they cares most about the students, encouraging their curiosity, sharing wisdom with them, challenging them to be better than they ever dreamed they could be,'' said UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack.  "The Charlton Family has issued us a very clear and tangible challenge. If we are going to make the dream come true for our student, we need to treat this wonderful gift by Mr. Charlton and the Charlton Family Trust as the beginning, a catalyst to achieve something bigger.''

Noting that the Charlton Family Trust's first Charlton College of Business gift was, at the time, the largest private gift ever made to the five-campus UMass system, UMass President Jack Wilson said Chuck Charlton's philanthropy, "is not only significant in its own right, but it has proved highly influential, inspiring other donors to give -- and to give generously -- to public higher education in Massachusetts in ways that had not occurred before."  

Charlton College Dean Eileen Peacock said, "The faculty and staff of Charlton are very grateful to the Charlton Trust and to Mr. Charlton and his daughter Stacey for the generous gift which allows us to further our development of the business school. The planned Learning Pavilion will provide opportunities to enhance our teaching by allowing us to create community spaces for the students so they can work and learn together in high tech, modern and comfortable surroundings."

The proposed 22,000 square foot, three-story addition to the Charlton College will provide new spaces for technology labs, discussion groups, and "smart" classrooms, all to enhance and broaden education.  Among the highlights:

* a financial trading room featuring data feed from the markets and state-of-the-art portfolio management
software;

* flexible learning spaces to accommodate various uses, evidence of our philosophy that meaningful education occurs inside and outside traditional classrooms;

* five "smart" classrooms, with sophisticated technology in varied forms;

* a 160-seat auditorium with advanced audio and visual equipment;

* dedicated areas for group study, for graduate students' group projects.

Images of the Learning Pavilion are available upon request.

Sponsors of the gala include:
* Sodexo
* The Bank of America
* Coca Cola
* Mr. and Mrs. Ron Xavier
* Charlton College of Business Dean Eileen Peacock
* Robert Karam
* Cardoza's Wine and Spirits
* Colonial Wholesale Beverages
* Macx Incorporated