2008 Woodie Awards
Macalester gives banquet, honorary degree to philanthropist Shelby Davis
By: Zac Farber, Managing Editor
Issue date: 3/14/08 Section: News
After philanthropist Shelby M.C. Davis officially announced his $13.5 million donation to Macalester students who graduated from United World Colleges last week, Macalester awarded him an honorary degree for his generosity to the 93 mostly international Macalester students, who hail from the 12 UWC secondary schools sprinkled around the globe.
Davis, the founder of Davis Advisors, L.P., a $30 billion money management firm, was given the award on March 6 along with Philip O. Geier, the director of Davis' UWC scholarship program. Macalester showed its appreciation by inviting about 180 members of the Macalester community-including the UWC students, faculty, members of the Board of Trustees and student representatives to the Board-to a swanky, three-course meal and degree-granting ceremony in the Hill Ballroom in Kagin Commons.
Before the donation, his charitable foundation already financed a $10,000 per year scholarship for UWC graduates. The gift will award the students with an additional $10,000 per year.
The extra $10,000 will free up funds from the financial aid budget, Rosenberg told the Star Tribune, increasing the amount of financial aid for non-UWC students as well.
In deciding how to allocate his donations, Davis said he tries to foster communities of UWC and international students.
He told The Mac Weekly he aims to build "clusters rather than very few [international] students. The bigger the cluster the better."
Macalester's status as a college with one of the highest number of UWC students and international students in the United States, Davis said, makes it an ideal school for attempting to raise the number of UWC students
Davis spoke about how his belief in education motivates his philanthropy and about how his retirement hastened his penchant for patronage.
"The purpose of the first 30 years of your life should be to focus on learning," he counseled. "The next 30 years of your life should be to focus on earning, and the remaining 30 years of your life, if you've been fortunate, should be to focus on returning to help make the world a better place.
Davis, the founder of Davis Advisors, L.P., a $30 billion money management firm, was given the award on March 6 along with Philip O. Geier, the director of Davis' UWC scholarship program. Macalester showed its appreciation by inviting about 180 members of the Macalester community-including the UWC students, faculty, members of the Board of Trustees and student representatives to the Board-to a swanky, three-course meal and degree-granting ceremony in the Hill Ballroom in Kagin Commons.
Before the donation, his charitable foundation already financed a $10,000 per year scholarship for UWC graduates. The gift will award the students with an additional $10,000 per year.
The extra $10,000 will free up funds from the financial aid budget, Rosenberg told the Star Tribune, increasing the amount of financial aid for non-UWC students as well.
In deciding how to allocate his donations, Davis said he tries to foster communities of UWC and international students.
He told The Mac Weekly he aims to build "clusters rather than very few [international] students. The bigger the cluster the better."
Macalester's status as a college with one of the highest number of UWC students and international students in the United States, Davis said, makes it an ideal school for attempting to raise the number of UWC students
Davis spoke about how his belief in education motivates his philanthropy and about how his retirement hastened his penchant for patronage.
"The purpose of the first 30 years of your life should be to focus on learning," he counseled. "The next 30 years of your life should be to focus on earning, and the remaining 30 years of your life, if you've been fortunate, should be to focus on returning to help make the world a better place.
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