WESTMINSTER, Md. — McDaniel College is making big strides thanks to a record-setting $15 million gift given by the late Jonas Eshelman, an alumnus of the class of 1950.
The bequest, the largest in school history, was announced during the college's Founders Society Gala on Friday, October 10.
Following the unveiling of the gift, leaders announced the "Reaching New Heights: The Campaign for McDaniel College" strategic plan, which marks the college's first major fundraising campaign since 2009.
Officials say the gift received from Eshelman will go toward that plan, which aims to raise $50 million by May 31, 2028.
Eshelman's gift will be used as an endowment that school officials say will help fund initiatives to enhance academic excellence and support the college's unrestricted priorities.
Growing up in Hagerstown, Maryland, Eshelman served in the U.S. Navy before attending Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College), where he majored in economics. He later worked in Baltimore as a retail business manager and real estate investor before retiring to West Palm Beach, Florida. He passed away in 2023 at age 95.
"This record-breaking gift will have a profound impact on the educational experience of our students. A portion of this gift has been designated to significantly enhance academic excellence — both now and into the future," McDaniel College President Julia Jasken said. "It demonstrates what is possible when donors believe in the power of a McDaniel education. The Eshelman gift also gives us tremendous momentum as we head into the public phase of our 'Reaching New Heights' campaign."
The campaign projects the college aims to complete include:
- construction of state-of-the-art facilities for new programs in nursing, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and early childhood education;
- a new outdoor track and field facility and locker rooms for student-athletes;
- experiential learning grants to increase student access to student-faculty summer research;
- and community partnerships through the Carroll County Scholars and McDaniel Women's Leadership Network.
Officials say the project is co-chaired by McDaniel College Board of Trustee member and 1984 alumnus, Debbie Dale Seidel and her husband Ethan Seidel, professor emeritus of economics and business administration.
