$1 million gift pushes Nevada State College closer to building

Jennifer Knight

Thursday, Aug. 14, 2003 | 9:40 a.m.

After years of struggling to raise its first dollar, the fledgling Nevada State College at Henderson received a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor Wednesday to build its first campus building.

"We've had trouble getting momentum," said Bill Martin, chairman of the Nevada State College Foundation. "Even the Legislature a few weeks ago was saying they needed to save money and drop the college -- that's just so negative. This was just great that someone said I am going to have confidence and step forward and make the first donation."

For two years, the state college has had $13.4 million in state funds locked away until it raises $10 million in matching donations.

Wednesday's gift, which was given in cash by the donor, is a huge step toward the effort to raise construction funds before the allocation reverts back to the state at the end of 2004.

"This is a very big step for us, and I'm very excited about it" college President Kerry Romesberg said.

Romesburg has said that he expected donors to continue to hold back until the 2003-2005 legislative session concluded and the college was guaranteed funding.

The college did get funded for another two years, but weathered budget cuts after the school's biggest supporter, Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, asked Gov. Kenny Guinn to take away $10 million from the college's budget during this year's legislative session.

Those cuts followed efforts by Assembly Republicans to cut the college completely from the budget in order to save the state money.

Martin said the large donation is a sign the college has turned a corner and hopes it encourages others to give.

"Ask any professional fund-raiser and they'll say you've got to have that first big gift," Martin said. "I can just tell you that this is just such a boost to go out and talk to people."