SPOKANE, Wash. -- Gonzaga University has been famous for its athletics program for decades but soon it could also be a premier school for the fine arts.
The school recently received a $55 million endowment. Administrators said it is the largest donation they have ever received. School leaders said the money will go to transform the look of this campus with a huge performing arts center.
Money for the building was unveiled at a gigantic Gonzaga celebration Thursday night. The money came from local philanthropist, Myrtle Woldson. When Woldson died a year ago, she left Gonzaga a check for $55 million. School leaders said more than half of that money is going to the construction of the performing arts center on campus.
Gonzaga administrators said the performing arts center could eventually attract big name performers here to Spokane.
The new performing arts center will be completed by 2018. There has been talk about the facility for years, but the money just was not there until the donation from Woldson.
