$10 million donation from Patricia and John R. Cochran III elevates school’s future
Loyola University Maryland has received a landmark $10 million gift from Patricia and John R. Cochran III—an unprecedented commitment that marks the largest in the school’s history and its first eight-figure donation.
The couple’s philanthropy will expand scholarships for Maryland students and strengthen faculty support through the creation of the new Cochran Family Center for Faculty Excellence and the Cochran Faculty Fund.
For Loyola, the gift represents both a bold investment in academic excellence and a deeply personal expression of gratitude from donors whose lives have long been intertwined with the Jesuit institution.
For John Cochran, the journey back to Loyola began decades ago in Baltimore City. The son of a postmaster and one of eight children, he put himself through Loyola by working 30 hours a week stocking grocery shelves.
The values he encountered in his Jesuit education—discipline, integrity, and service—became the foundation of a career that took him from a trainee at Maryland National Bank to chief operating officer of the MBNA Corporation and CEO of MBNA America Bank.
Cochran has always credited Loyola with helping shape his success, and this new commitment reflects his and Patricia’s desire to make that same opportunity possible for future generations, especially students from Baltimore who face financial barriers.
Their $10 million gift significantly expands the Cochran Family Scholarship Fund, first created in 2002 and already strengthened by a surprise $5 million donation the couple made in 2013.
That earlier contribution also helped establish the Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J., Alumni House in honor of Loyola’s former president.
The Cochrans’ philanthropy has been consistent, generous, and intentionally focused on opening doors for young people who might not otherwise afford a Loyola education.
This latest investment goes further by elevating the backbone of the university experience: the faculty. The Cochran Faculty Fund will provide resources for faculty development, new courses, mentorship, and experiential learning projects, including a new cohort of “Cochran Scholars.”
Their gift also launches the Cochran Family Center for Faculty Excellence, reinforcing Loyola’s commitment to attracting and retaining exceptional professors—an increasingly competitive challenge across higher education.
Throughout decades of service, including John’s tenure as chair of Loyola’s Board of Trustees and leadership of an $80 million capital campaign, the Cochrans have played a defining role in shaping the university’s trajectory.
Their influence can be seen across campus—from the Ridley Athletic Complex to the renovated Loyola/Notre Dame Library—and felt in the generations of students whose opportunities have grown because of their vision.
To Loyola’s leadership, the Cochrans’ gift is both transformational and emblematic of a donor relationship rooted in shared values. University president Terrence M. Sawyer, J.D., praised the couple for their steadfast belief in Loyola’s mission, while Provost Cheryl Moore-Thomas noted the significance of supporting both student access and faculty excellence—twin pillars of a strong academic community.
For the Cochrans, the motivation remains personal and straightforward.
They were raised in Baltimore. They know the sacrifices families make to pursue higher education.
And they believe deeply in the power of a Jesuit education to shape lives.
As John Cochran put it, supporting Loyola means investing in students who will go on to live out “strong truths well lived.”
Their historic gift ensures that many more of those students will have the chance to walk the campus they love—eager to learn, ready to lead, and supported by faculty empowered to help them thrive.