The Duke Endowment has awarded Johnson C. Smith University a $5.7 million grant to support the school as it establishes new programs on campus. The historic gift is the largest ever presented to JCSU from The Duke Endowment. The grant will support the University's Metropolitan College and help fund the Center for Applied Leadership and Community Development. It also will bolster JCSU's effort to increase its number of highly- motivated and highly-talented students.

Neil Williams, a Trustee of the Endowment, announced the grant Thursday. "The Duke Endowment's founder, James B. Duke, was an innovative philanthropist who saw great promise for this university," Williams said. "This grant honors Mr. Duke's vision for Johnson C. Smith and affirms the importance that he placed on higher education." JCSU's President, Dr. Ronald L. Carter, said the grant will help the University continue to move forward in its pursuit of excellence. "With this gift," he said, "JCSU is now strongly positioned to realize unbridled success."

The Metropolitan College is a new dynamic program that began in August and is the home for non-traditional students and working adults. In January, the college will offer an accelerated evening class curriculum for its Criminology and Social Work programs. In an effort to bridge the gap between JCSU and the Charlotte community, the Center for Applied Leadership & Community Development was established this past summer. The Center is providing an opportunity for JCSU faculty and students to work with community leaders to identify and ameliorate community issues through research and active problem-solving.

This support for capacity building allows the University to significantly increase the quality of enrolled students; to retain more students through graduation; and to better prepare students for graduate school enrollment and challenging careers.

James B. Duke established The Duke Endowment in 1924, naming Johnson C. Smith University as one of four institutions of higher education to benefit annually from the foundation's philanthropy. Since 1924, the Endowment has made gifts to JCSU of more than $85 million. Located in Charlotte, N.C., The Duke Endowment also funds health care, rural churches and children's services. It has awarded more than $2.6 billion in grants since its inception.