Remembered in Stone (and Glass)
The culture of philanthropy at Illinois Institute of Technology is as old as Illinois Tech itself. This year, as in years past, the philanthropy of alumni, trustees, and friends has made lasting contributions to the success of our university and our students, empowering them to make the difference they were born to make.
Kacek Hall
George J. Kacek (EE ’54, M.S. ’55) was a hard worker, modest, and earnest in his academic pursuits, with curiosity that burst at the seams. A successful engineer and savvy investor, Kacek made an estate gift that established the George J. Kacek Scholarship fund, and supported the renovation and restoration of George J. Kacek Hall.
George Kacek—along with his niece, Illinois Tech Trustee Stacey Kacek, who has echoed her uncle’s commitment to Illinois Tech by stewarding his bequest—understood the power of Illinois Tech’s vision to be a university that provides students with a genuinely first-class professional and technical education, regardless of their means or where they come from. Thanks to the Kaceks, students will receive the support they need and a place to call home.
Honoring Our University Regents
Whether they know it or not, every Illinois Tech student has felt the impact of the support of Illinois Tech’s University Regents. A regent is a trustee who has distinguished themselves as a change agent for Illinois Tech. Through support for research, scholarships, residence halls, institutes, endowed chairs, and professorships, as well as through their expertise, vision, and leadership, University Regents form the backbone of Illinois Tech’s philanthropic community.
Combined, University Regents have committed decades of service to Illinois Tech’s Board of Trustees and hundreds of millions of dollars in support of Illinois Tech’s vision and strategic goals. This fall Illinois Tech was proud to unveil the University Regents Tribute Wall in The McCormick Tribune Campus Center, a permanent tribute to the remarkable commitment and generosity of Craig J. Duchossois, Robert W. Galvin, Robert A. Pritzker (IE ’46), John W. Rowe, M. A. Self, Ralph Wanger, and Alan W. “Bud” Wendorf (ME ’71).
Michael Paul Galvin Tower
As 2021 draws to a close, Illinois Tech is poised to make unprecedented advancements in support for our students. This is in no small part thanks to the vision and leadership of Michael P. Galvin (LAW ’78), chair of Illinois Tech’s Board of Trustees and the namesake of Michael Paul Galvin Tower, which was rededicated on October 28, 2021, in honor of his distinguished record of service to Illinois Tech.
Lauded for his relentless drive toward continuous tech innovation, his operations acumen, and unflinching commitment to ethics, Galvin is one of the most prolific philanthropists in Illinois Tech history. In addition to his ongoing support for countless strategic priorities throughout the university, he has given extensively to scholarships across the university, including the Michael Paul Galvin Endowed Scholarship and the Elizabeth and Michael Galvin Endowed Scholarship. He helped to establish the Robert W. Galvin Center for Electricity Innovation, and recently established the Michael Paul Galvin Chair in Entrepreneurship and Applied Legal Technology.
He is also the son of the late Robert W. Galvin, an icon in innovation and former chair and CEO of Motorola, Inc., University Regent, and the chair of Illinois Tech’s Board of Trustees from 1979 to 1990.
As an alumnus, Galvin also knows firsthand the power of an Illinois Tech education to make a decisive difference in the lives of students. Illinois Tech’s culture of philanthropy is invigorated and breaking fundraising records in part because of Galvin’s commitment to Illinois Tech’s vision of fueling Chicago’s tech rise.
Visit iit.edu/give to join us in making a difference.