Kevin P. Reilly, president of the University of Wisconsin System, applauded John and Tashia Morgridge today for their generous founding gift to the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars, Inc., emphasizing that this investment will help the state realize its full economic and social potential:
“John and Tashia Morgridge, both Wisconsin natives, are known for their generous spirit and their strong support of education, including multiple major gifts in support of the UW-Madison campus. Today’s announcement shows that they share our statewide vision for a prosperous Wisconsin where more residents have the opportunity to earn a college degree.
“In our efforts to advance the UW System’s Growth Agenda for Wisconsin, we’ve emphasized the need to enroll a broader, deeper cut of the state’s population in college and ensure that a bigger percentage of our residents enter the workforce with some kind of post-secondary degree.
“As graduates of our public university, the Morgridges recognize that higher education is a springboard to lifelong success. They also understand that people with unlimited intellectual potential often face very real financial limitations. Their good work will help remove some of those obstacles and ensure broader access to our great colleges and universities.
“The Morgridges obviously know how to evaluate investment opportunities. They know that investing in educational opportunity will produce tangible dividends for generations of their fellow citizens in their home state. The Fund for Wisconsin Scholars is a ‘brain gain’ strategy to help propel Wisconsin into a leadership position in the 21st-century knowledge economy.”