Some Badgers welcomed homecoming weekend with a beer at a tailgate. Others donned red-and-white overalls and sang “Build Me Up Buttercup” in the stands of Camp Randall. For Ted and Mary Kellner, homecoming marked a time to give back to their alma mater.
The UW-Madison alumni donated $25 million to the university as a homecoming gift this past weekend. According to a university press release, the money will go towards the All Ways Forward campaign, a $3.2 billion dollar campaign launched in 2015 to fund various departments across the university.
“All of us here at the UW are deeply grateful for the generosity of the Kellner family, who have given so much to so many areas of our university,” Chancellor Rebecca Blank said in the release. “This gift continues the tradition of providing support to key programs that help us serve students better.”
Donating to UW-Madison is not unusual for the Kellners. According to the press release, the Kellners’ have made financial contributions to athletic scholarships and facilities — like Kellner Hall, the administrative offices of the Athletic Department in Camp Randall Stadium — as well as to general scholarship support and a variety of programs in education and business.
In addition to monetary donations, the Kellners have also given back to the university with their service. Mary Kellner, a former teacher, guidance counselor and coordinator of school-based drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs, has served on the UW-Madison School of Education’s Board of Visitors. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UW-Madison in 1968.
Ted Kellner, who earned his bachelor’s degree in business from UW-Madison in 1969, has served as chairman of the board of the University of Wisconsin Foundation, president of the Wisconsin Alumni Association and president of the Wisconsin School of Business Board of Visitors, according to the release.
“Ted and Mary Kellner truly exemplify the best of the Wisconsin spirit,” Michael Knetter, president of the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, said in the release.
