The Campaign for St. John's College
A Message from the Chair of the Campaign
Ronald Fielding: A 1970 graduate of St. John's, Ronald H. Fielding is senior vice president of OppenheimerFunds Inc. Previously, Mr. Fielding, a nationally recognized expert in the area of municipal bond funds, was president and founder of three Rochester Funds, which he sold to OppenheimerFunds in 1996 and continues to manage for the firm. He earned a master's degree in economics and an M.B.A. from the University of Rochester. In 2003, Mr. Fielding made what was at the time the single largest gift from an individual donor to the college: a $10 million gift to the Campaign to support financial aid. A member of the college's Board of Visitors and Governors, Mr. Fielding serves as chair of the Campaign.
We have chosen "With a Clear and Single Purpose" as the theme for a new fundraising campaign for St. John's College because it speaks to the clarity and singleness of the college's program of instruction. These characteristics alone set it apart from the mainstream of higher education in the United States today.
It is now time to secure St. John's College financially. It is time to build its endowment substantially, so that it has the resources to continue to award need-based aid to students at levels that are required and expected and the resources to attract and retain an excellent faculty. It is time to provide physical facilities that are both sufficient to meet our educational mission and to meet the expectations of our applicants.
I am chairing the campaign because of what St. John's College gave to me and what it has meant to my development as a human being and businessman. I am excited by the opportunity to be giving back to such a unique and important institution of learning. This Campaign for St. John's College is important for everyone who has benefited from the education, and for those who believe in its place in higher education. I hope you will join me in securing this unique college.