Articles

Pitt African American Alumni Council launches $3M scholarship campaign

Category: Metro Published on Thursday, 05 November 2009 12:44 Written by Nikki Coffee Denton

During the University of Pittsburgh’s 2009 homecoming, the African American Alumni Council announced its fund-raising efforts toward a $3 million scholarship campaign.

With more than $1.4 million raised from 644 donors to date, the AAAC will use the next five years to reach their goal. The campaign will support students of diversity through the Bebe Moore Campbell Scholarship Fund, the Jack L. Daniel Endowed Book Fund and the AAAC Endowed Scholarship Fund.

The late Campbell, a 1971 Pitt graduate, was a nationally acclaimed best-selling author and Pitt trustee; Jack L. Daniel is a Distinguished Service Professor of Communication and former vice provost for undergraduate studies and dean of students at the university.

“It is our responsibility to reach back and pull others along. This campaign will provide many students with the resources needed to acquire an advanced education at one of the finest universities in America,” said Linda Wharton-Boyd, AAAC president. “I am proud of this partnership with the university, and I encourage all of our alumni and friends to support this effort.

“I can’t begin to fathom that we would allow a bright, talented African-American student who wants to attend this university to not be able to do so because they didn’t have the funds to do so. It is time for us to give back,” said Douglas Browning, head of AAAC Campaign Steering Committee.

Recognized as an Affinity group of the Pitt Alumni Association, the AAAC has grown in membership since it’s inception in the late 1980’s.  Today it touts a membership base of more than 13,000 across the country and abroad.

For information about supporting the AAAC or to donate to the scholarship campaign, visit www.giveto .pitt.edu, or call 1-800-817-8943.