School of Business boosted with $8.4 million in gifts

Long-time UW–Madison benefactor Albert “Ab” Nicholas gave a $6.4 million gift and an anonymous donor gave another $2 million Friday to benefit the School of Business’ Applied Corporate Finance program.

The gifts came on the same day that the UW Foundation kicked off the public phase of its $1.5 billion “Create the Future: The Wisconsin Campaign” fundraising effort.

“The timing of these generous gifts does two things: It assures the School of Business will be able to enhance an already fine program and provides momentum to our capital campaign,” said Chancellor John D. Wiley. “We are grateful for gifts like these that inspire and provide fuel for achievement.”

Nicholas, chair and chief executive officer of the Milwaukee-based mutual fund firm of Nicholas Co., Inc. has long-standing ties to the university. The former All-Big Ten basketball player graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1952 and returned to earn his MBA in 1955. The anonymous donor is also a School of Business graduate.

Nicholas is a former president and board member of the National W Club, sits on the board of the UW Foundation and is a past member of the UW System Board of Regents. Nicholas is also a member of the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the Bascom Hill Society.

Nicholas holds an interest in both business and athletics on the UW–Madison campus and has taken a leading role in backing facilities and scholarships in both areas. He has been recognized as a Distinguished Business Alumnus by the Wisconsin Business Alumni.

In addition, Nicholas and his wife, Nancy Johnson Nicholas – another UW–Madison graduate – previously gave the university $10 million for construction of the Nicholas-Johnson Pavilion, a 22,000-square-foot practice facility adjoining the Kohl Center.

Andrew “Sandy” Wilcox, president of the UW Foundation, said that Nicholas’ gift is a reflection of his commitment to the university and his enthusiasm for keeping it a world-class institution.

“This is one more extension of Ab’s incredible leadership and generosity,” Wilcox said. “This gift ensures that a new generation of business students will be able to get the practical business experience needed to succeed.”

The Applied Corporate Finance program affords graduate students a chance to get hands-on experience working on corporate finance consulting projects. Those typically involve analyzing problem areas for participating firms in areas such as working capital management, funding sources, valuation, capital expenditure decisions, and joint venture and strategic alliances.

The gifts will elevate the program – under the direction of Associate Professor Jim Seward — to the status of an endowed center, according to Michael Knetter, dean of the School of Business.

“We are grateful to Ab Nicholas and our anonymous benefactor,” Knetter said. “The relevance and excellence of our specialized programs are the key to our success in the graduate area. The additional resources will be used to strengthen and support the program so that it continues to attract top students.”

The program, begun in 1998, has put students in real-world business situations involving a wide variety of firms. In addition to analyzing problem areas, students in the program prepare written evaluations, recommend solutions and make presentations on their findings to top company officials.