Case Western Reserve University receives $15 million from the Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation

Case Western Reserve University has received a $15 million commitment from the Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation. The gift will support the university’s new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building and will establish The Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation Terrace. The gift will be matched by the university’s century bond program, bringing the total impact of the gift from the Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation to $30 million.

According to an article on Case Western Reserve University's website, Eric W. Kaler, who serves as the university’s President and Morton L. Mandel Presidential Chair, was quoted as saying of the gift, “The Smith family legacy runs deep at Case Western Reserve and the lasting impact of the Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation is evident across campus. For decades, the foundation has prioritized support in and around University Circle, which has enabled its institutions to grow and thrive. We are honored to be among them.”

The Smith family has had ties to the university since 1885, when Albert W. Smith enrolled at Case School of Applied Science. He became the chair of the chemistry department and helped establish the school’s chemical engineering program in 1913. Albert’s four children all earned degrees from Case Western Reserve University, and two of them served as university trustees.

Over the generations, the Smith family legacy has been apparent at Case Western Reserve University. Their impact has created the Kelvin Smith Library, The Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation Grand Ballroom in the Tinkham Veale University Center, The Lubrizol Foundation and Kent H. Smith and Kelvin Smith Fabrication Floor in the Larry, Sears and Sally Zlotnick Sears think[box], The Lucia Smith Nash Walkway, and The Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation Plaza at the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center at The Temple-Tifereth Israel.

This latest gift from the Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation will support the 189,000-square-foot Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building, which is a new research facility on campus that will be used for interdisciplinary research into climate science, electrochemistry, sustainable manufacturing, artificial intelligence, robotics, and neurotechnology. It also establishes The Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation Terrace, which is an outdoor meeting space that connects the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building with the campus quad. 

Ellen Mavec, who is the granddaughter of Kelvin and Eleanor Smith and the president of The Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation, said, “Our family’s relationship with Case Western Reserve University spans generations, and we are proud to continue supporting an institution that has long advanced innovation, discovery and opportunity. The Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building reflects the kind of collaborative, forward-looking research environment that will help shape the future, and we are honored to be a part of it.”

For more information about Case Western Reserve University, visit the school’s website.