IU Athletics Director Fred Glass and his wife, Barbara, made a six-figure gift to the school-wide “For All Bicentennial Campaign,” the IU Varsity Club announced Monday.
The gift from the Glass family is in support of the South End Zone Excellence Academy building that will enclose Memorial Stadium and will also establish the Glass Family Student-Athlete Leadership Suite. The gift will also name a men’s basketball locker in honor of lifelong Glass family friend Bob Clifford who died last year.
Bob Kennedy, president of the Varsity Club National Board of Directors, said in a press release that he hopes the publicizing of the Glass donation will encourage others to contribute to the campaign as well.
“Beyond supporting the campaign generally, I know that it was important to Fred and Barbara to support the Excellence Academy, which has been one of Fred’s passions, as well as to honor their long-time mutual friend Bob Clifford,” Kennedy said in the release. “Their generous gift will focus on funding student athletic scholarships and developing student-athlete leaders.”
The Excellence Academy, created by Glass in 2010, is a student development program that focuses on the development of student-athletes through areas like leadership and life skills, health and wellness, nutrition and career counseling. The south end zone project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2018.
Jake Thomer
