$20 million new gift from John and Kathryn Milligan to university raises their gifts to $30 million
Ohio Wesleyan University is experiencing a renaissance, fueled by a wave of donor generosity that has surpassed $50 million in just three months.
At the forefront of this transformation is a record-breaking $20 million gift from alumni and trustees John and Kathryn Milligan—the largest single donation in the university’s 182-year history.
Their landmark gift will fund the creation of the John F. Milligan Library, a groundbreaking fine arts and academic space designed to integrate creativity, technology, and student collaboration.
Set to become a central hub on campus, the new facility will feature fine arts studios, flexible classrooms, and vibrant community gathering areas.
“We’re not just rebuilding a library,” said OWU President Matt vandenBerg during a campus-wide announcement event. “We’re putting creativity and collaboration at the center of the student experience. This is more than a transformation—it’s an epic rebirth.”
The Milligans’ new donation has inspired a surge of additional philanthropic support, enabling OWU to simultaneously launch the largest on-campus solar initiative in Ohio’s history.
These two landmark projects—one celebrating art and intellect, the other championing sustainability—underscore a bold new chapter for the liberal arts university.
John Milligan, a respected biotechnology leader and former CEO of Gilead Sciences, credited his OWU education for shaping his professional journey and personal values. “Kathryn and I believe in the power of a liberal arts education to unlock innovation and purpose,” he said. “We hope this gift ignites future generations to dream big and create boldly.”
Ohio Wesleyan has been an important part of the Milligans’ lives since they met on campus more than thirty years ago. They have remained deeply connected to the university, notably as parents to Bradford F. Milligan ’15.
John Milligan, Ph.D., majored in chemistry at OWU, earned his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Illinois, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the American Cancer Society at the University of California, San Francisco. He served as president and COO of Gilead Sciences, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing care for patients with life-threatening diseases.
Kathie Bradford Milligan majored in speech communications at OWU, which led to a six-year career with the FBI.
She served as a national spokesperson at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, later working as a consultant in crisis and issue management for Fortune 500 companies.
The Milligans have previously made transformative investments to OWU’s Connect Today, Create Tomorrow campaign.
$5 million in 2019 to support the $60 million Residential Renewal project, which includes plans to build senior student apartments, renovate Smith Hall, revitalize fraternity and adjacent houses, and improve Welch and Hayes halls.
$5 million in 2014 to create the John Fairbanks Milligan & Kathryn Bradford Milligan, Class of ’83, OWU Connection Endowment, which supports a faculty-led initiative connecting academic theory with real-world practice and preparing students for global leadership.