Mendozas ranked 24th largest philanthropists of 2000
Special to The Observer
A $35-million gift to the University from Thomas and Kathy Mendoza has been ranked the 24th largest in the nation last year, according to the annual Slate 60 survey compiled by the online magazine Slate and the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Bill and Melinda Gates, with a donation of $5 billion to their foundation, topped the survey, which ranks the 60 leading donors in America. The survey began in 1996 at the suggestion of broadcasting entrepreneur Ted Turner, who hoped the publication of a prestigious list of donors would provide an incentive to giving.
The Mendoza's gift, announced in March, 2000, is the largest single donation in Notre Dame history and is in support of the University's business college, which was named in the couple's honor. The Mendozas were among seven philanthropists in the Slate 60 who contributed directly to college or university business schools.
Thomas Mendoza, a 1973 Notre Dame graduate, is president of Network Appliance (NetApp), a Sunnyvale, Calif., company that is the leading provider of network attached data access and management solutions. Kathy Mendoza, a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, is president of worldwide strategic alliances for NetApp.
Founded in 1921, the Mendoza College of Business is ranked by Forbes Magazine as one of the nation's top 20 in giving MBA students the best return on their investment, and Business Week has rated the college's business ethics curriculum the best in American higher education.
The college is Notre Dame's second largest with some 1,800 undergraduates, 780 advanced degree students (MBA, master of accountancy and master of science in administration) and 130 faculty.
All News Stories for Monday, February 26, 2001
