U of I College of Business Receives $150M Naming Gift

The College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will be known as the Gies College of Business after an unprecedented investment from a distinguished alumnus. The gift, announced today, will accelerate progress toward being recognized as the best and most innovative business school in the nation.

This monumental gift comes from Chicago businessman and College of Business alumnus Larry Gies (Geese) and his wife Beth. Their intent is to create an immediate and lasting impact for current and future students of the college through their $150 million investment.

“We are incredibly grateful and proud to have two successful U of I graduates reinvest in the very place where their entrepreneurial journey began. This ranks among the largest gifts to any business school in U.S. history,” said Dean Jeffrey R. Brown, College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“This gift is the result of strong confidence in the excellence of our students, the innovative spirit of our faculty and staff, and the vision and determination to make the Gies College of Business the best undergraduate business college in the country,” Brown added.