Belmont University establishes Johnson Academic Challenge via $30 million gift

Thanks to a $30 million gift from Milton and Denice Johnson, the Johnson Academic Challenge has been established at Belmont University. The Johnson Academic Challenge will match commitments made by other donors, which will bring the total funding from the Johnsons via the Johnson Academic Challenge up to $60 million toward endowed professorships. These endowed professorships will span across all of Belmont University’s academic programs, giving the school the ability to provide students with excellent education across the board.

According to an article on Belmont University’s website, Dr. Greg Jones, the university’s president, shared of the new Johnson Academic Challenge, "Milton and Denice Johnson are exceptional people, remarkably generous and amazing leaders. Through their extraordinary vision, the Johnsons have created an unprecedented opportunity that will transform Belmont's future. As donors step forward, their gifts will be doubled through this Challenge, allowing us to bring together diverse perspectives and innovative approaches that will shape how we prepare students for an ever-changing world."

Milton Johnson is the retired CEO of HCA Healthcare, as well as an alumnus of Belmont University and the chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees. While a Belmont student, Milton received scholarships to continue his education. Denice Johnson is a former educator. Together, the couple has seen the importance of quality education. The Johnsons are also great supporters of Belmont University. Their $30 million gift toward the Johnson Academic Challenge brings their total financial support of the university to $50 million, including financial support they have provided to the Bridges to Belmont program, the Bell Tower Scholars, and the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine. 

Milton Johnson was quoted as saying, "This Challenge represents our belief in Belmont's vision to reimagine higher education. By creating this matching fund, we hope to attract and retain innovative leaders of deep character from diverse backgrounds and industries who bring forward-thinking perspectives to our academic programs. These endowed positions will be catalysts for transformation in how we prepare students for the future."

The Johnson Academic Challenge will see the Johnsons matching each financial contribution made by other donors in the amount of $1.5 to $3 million. When the matching funds bring the total of the Johnson Academic Challenge to $60 million, the university will be able to bring in up to 20 experts and innovators in their fields to serve in endowed professorships, bringing another layer of expertise to the faculties of each of the university’s colleges.

For more information about Belmont University, visit the school’s website.