Robert L. Siegfried, Jr. and Kathleen Marie Siegfried are giving the University of Delaware $71.5 million. The largest gift in UDel’s 282-year history will help transform the business school, officials say.
The University of Delaware is celebrating its largest donation in its 282-year history.
Proud alumni Rob and Kathy Siegfried -- who graduated from the university in 1981 and 1985 -- along with The Siegfried Group, LLP, committed $71.5 million to benefit UD's Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.
According to the university, the Siegfrieds’ generous gift will help create Lerner College’s Siegfried Hall, a state-of-the-art, student-centric learning space.
The new space will include modern classrooms, research and teaching labs, a student-run café, and an auditorium. Siegfried Hall will also be the host site of the new Siegfried Institute for Leadership and Free Enterprise, an “idea lab."
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“This is a transformative moment for the University of Delaware and our Lerner College of Business and Economics,” President Dennis Assanis said in a news release. “The Siegfrieds’ generosity will significantly advance Lerner’s critical mission of preparing the next generation of leaders, change-makers and entrepreneurs to make an impact in the rapidly evolving world of business and economics. My wife, Eleni, and I are so grateful to Rob and Kathy for their extraordinary demonstration of leadership and support that will make a meaningful difference to our community for years to come.”
The university hopes to break ground on the new building within the next four years.
“My time at UD — my incredible professors, the many unique experiences inside and outside the classroom, my vibrant network of friends and colleagues — helped to make me who I am today,” Rob Siegfried shared. “To be able to share our success with the business students of tomorrow is an incredible honor. Kathy and I, and our firm, are thrilled to invest in the world-class students, faculty, staff and campus of the Lerner College and the University of Delaware.”
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According to the university, Rob earned his bachelor’s degree from Lerner College with majors in economics and accounting, while Kathy earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Arts and Sciences with a major in criminal justice.
Although Kathy and Rob grew up next door to each other, they did not start dating until 1984, after meeting through a mutual friend at a football tailgate at UD.
Now married 38 years, Kathy and Rob have three children and two grandchildren.
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