Michigan couple gives $3 million to BGSU student union
University names facility in their honor
A Plymouth, Michigan, couple has given $3 million to Bowling Green State University for a project underway to expand and renovate the University s Student Union.
Robert M. and Ellen (Bowen) Thompson, both BGSU graduates, formally presented the gift to the University on Friday (Dec. 15) afternoon.
The contribution is the largest ever received by the University, according to Marcia Latta, director of development at BGSU. The largest previous gift was a $2 million bequest for student scholarships from Lorain schoolteacher Harry V. Frankfather, a 1926 BGSU alumnus. This gift from the Thompsons will impact every student at the University because the Union is used by everyone on campus, Latta said, adding that the gift also demonstrates the importance of private philanthropy. Private dollars are crucial in helping the University achieve its goal of becoming the premiere learning co