Ken and Virginia Cornwall
Taylor University today announced another $10 million gift from Ken and Virginia Cornwall – their third contribution to the university’s $500 million program. Enjoy life to the fullest Campaign, one of the largest fundraising initiatives ever for a Christian college.
This donation will enable the university to establish the Cornwall School of Business and Leadership for Taylor’s largest academic department and brings the total to $295 million in donations and pledges for the campaign announced in April.
“Taylor University is a special place for me and my family, and we feel personally invested in its success,” said Ken Cornwall, founder of Atlanta-based ProSet/ProVent Systems. “This is a truly Christ-centered, student-focused institution. We believe Taylor’s commitment to a world-class Christian education empowers our young people to make truly positive changes in the world.”
ProSet/ProVent Systems began manufacturing innovative plumbing products in the early 1980s. Ken Cornwall holds over fifty patents and his worldwide customers have included major hotels, entertainment venues such as Disney World, professional sports stadiums, and the Department of Defense. In 2014, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Business Administration by President Eugene Habecker and President Emeritus Jay Kesler for his contributions to the manufacturing industry and his commitment to living a biblically grounded and Christ-centered life.
“Faithful and joyful givers like Ken and Virginia are a blessing to the entire Taylor community,” said Dr. Michael Lindsay, president of the university. “The Cornwall family continues to be a model of exuberant generosity, reflecting their family’s significant investment in Christian higher education and the next generation of students. They have blessed Taylor in significant ways across our campus, and we are so grateful.”
The Cornwall School of Business and Leadership will house Taylor’s thriving undergraduate program in business administration as well as two recently launched graduate programs in leadership – a one-year, on-site Master of Arts in Leadership and a Ph.D. in Leadership offered online with concentrations in educational and organizational leadership. Both graduate programs will begin their first cohorts this fall. The school will also house Taylor’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), which currently allows any Taylor student, regardless of major, to pursue a minor or certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition, the gift will fund the development of a master’s program in global leadership, leveraging Taylor’s extensive network of global partners.
Dr. Jody Hirschy, Professor of Marketing and current Director of Taylor’s Business Program, has been named Dean of the Cornwall School of Business and Leadership. Dr. Amy Stucky will be the new Head of Taylor’s Business School. The Cornwall School of Business and Leadership is the latest major output of Taylor thrivesthe university’s five-year plan.
This latest donation from the Cornwall family is one of five donations valued at $10 million or more that have already been made in Enjoy life to the fullest Campaign and represents the family’s third multimillion-dollar donation to the campaign. In 2022, they donated $3 million to fund the construction of the Horne Academic Center, where their gift will have a multiplier effect, enabling Taylor to prepare students to impact the world for Christ through film and media and to develop the next generation of faith-based entrepreneurs. In 2023, the Cornwalls donated $5 million to support the construction of Habecker Hall, the renovation of Stillman Fieldhouse, and the renovation of the Nussbaum Science Center for Nursing.
For more information about the Life to the Full campaign, visit www.taylor.edu/campaign.
Dr. Jody Hirschy, now Dean of the Cornwall School of Business and Leadership, with Ken and Virginia Cornwall.
