By Bob Allen
An anonymous donor has donated $10 million to California Baptist University, the largest gift in the California Baptist Convention-affiliated school’s 68-year history.
Cal Baptist President Ronald Ellis announced the gift during the January meeting of the school’s board of trustees. The gift will help fund a new building for the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering.
The three-story, 100,000-square-foot building is estimated to cost more than $50 million. Its completion is targeted in the summer of 2018.
“This is going to accelerate the trajectory of the engineering program at CBU,” Ellis said. “It is a tremendous highlight for CBU and we praise God for his providence.”
Founded in 1950 as California Baptist College with 120 students, the school was originally located in El Monte, Calif. The California Southern Baptist Convention adopted it in 1954.
Now located in Riverside, Calif., California Baptist University currently enrolls about 8,500 students.