Transformational gift for DU’s Kennedy Mountain Campus

Dear DU community members,

When we announced the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus this past fall, we promised that all DU students could enjoy the inspiring campus without any additional cost to them or their families. We are able to uphold that promise through the generosity of donors who see the incredible value of the Kennedy Mountain Campus and the DU 4D Experience for our students and their futures.

And so, with excitement and profound gratitude, I am pleased to announce that Andy (BSBA ’70) and Barbara Taylor have made a $20 million gift to the University of Denver in support of the Kennedy Mountain Campus’ programming and operations. In recognition of the myriad ways this gift will positively impact our students, we will name the upper portion of the campus the Andy and Barbara Taylor Upper Camp in their honor. The Taylor Upper Camp will be a bustling and beautiful mountain nexus for students to experience outdoor, recreational, curricular, co-curricular and other activities at the Kennedy Mountain Campus.

The programming made possible by the Taylors’ gift will deepen and expand the University’s ability to provide a truly holistic 4D Experience. It will also fund programming for our faculty and staff to connect with others and engage in professional development. From a signature first-year student experience, year-round outdoor adventures, community and leadership building, opportunities to engage in well-being and recreation programs, as well as field study, academic coursework and hands-on ecological and sustainability practices—the Taylors’ generosity will help support a truly unique and education-defining experience for DU students.

The Taylors believe in the University of Denver. They believe in the ability of our students and the research we produce to make a difference in the world and improve lives. This gift is the latest in a long relationship of friendship and support of DU, including the Taylor Family Undergraduate Center in the Daniels College of Business, significant gifts to scholarships for students from underrepresented backgrounds and longstanding volunteer work at the institution.

We believe every student can deeply benefit from the experiences, programming and community-building made uniquely possible by the Kennedy Mountain Campus. It is with thanks to the support of generous philanthropists and supporters like Andy and Barbara Taylor that each and every student can find at DU and at the Kennedy Mountain Campus the education and 4D Experience to build the lives they desire and improve the world.

Please join me in saying thank you to Andy and Barbara. It is an honor to have you as champions and members of this singular community.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Haefner

Chancellor