Louise Bennett Reed
The athletic department announced during the summer that it received three major private donations totaling $5.36 million.
Louise Bennett Reed, whose father and brother-in-law operated the former Lafayette Black Diamond coal mine, made the athletic department the sole beneficiary of her $4.75 million estate before she passed away last year at age 103. The amount represents a record for a single donor to the department. Reed specified the money be used for football and men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball scholarships.
She volunteered as an academic adviser and career counselor for CU football players during the 1970s.
鈥淭his is a powerful and inspirational gift that means so much to us on so many levels,鈥� athletic director Mike Bohn told聽The Denver Post. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more touched.鈥�
An additional $610,000 came from two other private donations 鈥� $360,000 from an anonymous donor and $250,000 from聽John Raeder聽(Econ鈥�85) and聽Debbie Raeder聽(Rec鈥�86). The former stipulated that the football offices in the Dal Ward Center be renamed the 鈥淓ddie Crowder Football Operations Complex鈥� in honor of the late football coach and athletic director. The latter donation will support the student-athlete academic center at Dal Ward.
