The University of Virginia's capital campaign has passed its initial $1 billion goal, thanks to a $60 million gift from retired media leader Frank Batten Sr.

Batten, a UVA alumnus, gave the money to the university's Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. It is being called the largest gift ever received by a business school.

Batten is former chairman of the international multimedia company Landmark Communications Inc., which owns the Weather Channel, The Virginian-Pilot newspaper, and various other electronic and print holdings.

The donation brings the Campaign for the University of Virginia fundraising drive to more than $1.03 billion in gifts and pledges. The Darden business school easily met its $100 million campaign goal with an actual total of $182 million raised, thanks to the Batten gift.

Batten said his gift is to "challenge and enable Darden to become a global leader in the new entrepreneurial economy." To do that, his $60 million gift will:

• Endow five new professorships;
• Increase endowed scholarship resources by 75 percent;
• Institute a fellows program to bring corporate executives to the school;
• Establish a venture capital fund to allow students and faculty to test entrepreneurial principles.

Batten graduated from UVA's College of Arts and Sciences in 1950 and has been a longtime Darden benefactor.

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batten-dec-10-1999.html