California couple gives McPherson College $25 million gift

MCPHERSON, Kan. (AP) — A California couple well-known for their philanthropy has donated $25 million to McPherson College, the largest gift in the college’s 135-year history.

Melanie Lundquist announced the gift from her and her husband, Richard, while she gave the commencement address Sunday at the private liberal arts college about 60 miles (96.56 kilometers) north of Wichita

The college said the gift would be used to complete a fundraising campaign started in October 2019. With the Lundquists’ gift, the campaign has raised $53 million, which will be used to build a campus commons, strengthen academic programs and support a project that enables students to graduate debt-free.

Richard Lundquist owns Continental Development Corp., a property development firm based in El Segundo, California. He and his wife are noted philanthropists, with an emphasis on education and health care.

The couple did not attend or graduate from McPherson. Their relationship with the college began in 2012. Previous donations to the school have included $1 million and an Enzo Ferrari 1972 365GTB/4 Daytona to its automotive restoration program.

Richard Lundquist, who will become a member of McPherson’s Board of Trustees, said he and his wife hope the gift “spurs more support of well-run small liberal arts colleges in the U.S.”