$10 million gift to high school from alumnus Daniel DiLella

A new gift marks a landmark moment for Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia: the school has received the single largest donation in its 135-year history.

The $10 million gift — from alumnus Daniel DiLella, founder and chairman of Equus Capital Partners Ltd. — will go toward a major capital project: a new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) center.

Roman Catholic’s ambitious plan calls for combining roughly 28,000 square feet of newly built space with another 20,000 square feet of renovated existing structure.

Once complete, the new center will redefine the school’s capacity to deliver rigorous STEM education — bringing modern labs, collaborative learning environments, and state-of-the-art facilities to generations of students.

DiLella, a member of the class of 1969, has long been invested in the future of his alma mater. He has served on the school’s board since it was reconstituted in 1991, and his generosity now propels the STEM-center project two-thirds of the way toward the school’s $30 million total fundraising goal.

“This is about creating the best STEM Center in the region for the young men of Philadelphia,” DiLella said in a statement — a vision that resonates not only with STEM-focused students, but with the broader mission of equipping all graduates with skills for the 21st century.

School leadership says the project will proceed in phases, with the STEM center slated for the first phase of construction. In the meantime, the school continues to seek additional philanthropic support to meet the full scope of its $30 million target.