Another Gift To University

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31124, 29 July 1966, Page 1

Another Gift To University

A gift of £lOOO received by Canterbury University yesterday brought cash gifts and promises in the last 12 months to £135,000, said Professor N. C. Phillips, Vice-Chancellor of the university, yesterday.

The gift is to assist in strengthening the university library in American studies. Professor Phillips said it was one of several gifts promised recently. All would be acknowledged. The £135,000 represented about 10 per cent of the university’s annual in-

come from all other sources, mainly the government grant and fees. There had also been gifts of books, papers and paintings. “The magnitude of these gifts shows what might be possible with favourable reform of the tax laws,” said Professor Phillips. He said he meant gift duty. “If the tax laws were more encouraging to donors for educational purposes we would unquestionably attract more gifts.” The largest source of that type of income was the national lottery. More than a third had come from the science research distribution of Golden Kiwi lottery funds. Nearly all the money was given for specific purposes. In the last 12 months the science department had had 44 per cent of gifts, commerce 29 per cent, arts 20 per cent, and engineering 4 per cent. The arts share included 50,000 dollars from the American Council of Learned Societies for the establishment of a chair of American studies, with a promise to match library expenditure up to 25,000 dollars. “Givers favour science, engineering and commerce at the expense of arts, fine arts, and law,” said Professor Phillips. “We are grateful but would like to think that we could gain more assistance for the humanities and liberal arts.”

He said gifts of money allowed the university to do things which would not otherwise be possible, particularly in research and assistance to students. These gifts also stimulated interest in the university and understanding of its social uses.