Schools Find Ayn Rand Can’t Be Shrugged as Donors Build Courses

A number of wealthy philanthropists are making bold demands on schools as a condition of giving.

John Allison, former chairman of bank holding company BB&T Corp., admires author Ayn Rand so much that he devised a strategy to spread her principles on U.S. campuses. Allison, working through the BB&T Charitable Foundation, gives schools grants of as much as $2 million if they agree to create a course on capitalism and make Rand’s masterwork, “Atlas Shrugged,” required reading.

Faculty at several schools that have accepted Allison’s terms are protesting, saying donors shouldn’t have the power to set curriculum to pursue their political agendas.