Case Western announces largest-ever gift

CLEVELAND (AP) — Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland says it has received a pledge for a $50 million gift, the largest in the school’s 185-year history.

The commitment has come from the Weatherhead Foundation of longtime university booster Albert J. Weatherhead III, who died last month.

The Plain Dealer of Cleveland reports the university also has gotten another, $20 million pledge from a graduate who asked to be kept anonymous.

Case Western President Barbara Snyder announced the donations on Thursday as the school publicly launched a $1 billion fundraising effort. The campaign has been in a “quiet” phase since it started four years ago and has already collected $663 million.