Ralph Hauenstein, a 101-year-old World War II veteran, has made a gift of $1 million to Grand Valley State University (GVSU). This is the second major donation since 2001 and will be directed towards 'The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies.'
"I have ample opportunities to invest in many worthwhile programs and projects, but I can think of no better investment than the one to ensure our future leaders are wise and ethical," Hauenstein, who is also a businessman and one of West Michigan's most prominent philanthropists, said in a statement.
Gleaves Whitney, the director of the center, welcomed Hauenstein's donation.
"It's just a thrill to be able to work in a center named for him and a center in which he is still so active," Whitney said. "We are really keen on lengthening his legacy of leadership and service," MLive reports.
A graduate of Grand Rapids Central High School, Hauenstein's first donation, worth $1 million came in 2001, to create the Hauenstein Center in partnership with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. In 2003, the center became an exclusive part of GVSU after parting ways with the museum.
The center organizes lectures and debates on a wide-range of topics and operates a leadership academy, where 40 students per year are mentored by a variety of community leaders.
Praising Whitney's efforts in the center, Hauenstein said, "I'm incredibly proud of the work he and the center are doing. We're seeing the fruits in the young people who have been mentored in the program and are out taking their place in the world."
After WWII, Hauenstein made his living through two business ventures - Tri-Continental Trading Co. in New York and Werner Lehara.
