Taking off last October just as the national economy crashed, the Lives of Consequence capital campaign was slated to fail by many critics due to the unstable market conditions. These critics were proved wrong at last night’s faculty meeting, however, as President Tony Marx announced in a “truly historical moment for Amherst College” two record-setting donations that resulted from the campaign. The two gifts of $25 million and $100 million, pledged by two different alumni, are the largest donations in the College’s history, with the $100 million gift topping the charts in donations to any liberal arts college.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees Jide Zietlin applauded the donations, stating, “There are those who have said we could not have picked a worse time for a capital campaign, but look what has happened. These incredibly generous gifts are a stunning affirmation of the belief and support that these donors have for the mission and values of Amherst College, even during this challenging economic environment. It is my hope that other alumni will be inspired to do whatever they can to help support the College and its mission during these difficult times.”

Both donors, who chose to remain anonymous, have pledged unrestricted cash investments over the course of the next five years. “The unrestricted gifts are intended to support the College’s ongoing efforts to provide the finest possible undergraduate education and access to it, and to maintain Amherst’s standing as the most selective and the most diverse liberal arts college,” said Marx in a press release made public early this morning.

“I make this gift in recognition of the unique education I received at Amherst, and as an expression of support of Amherst College’s mission,” the alum pledging $100 million said in an anonymous statement published in the press release. “I hope other alumni will be inspired to further support the College, at a time when the economy is stressing the resources of all higher educational institutions. Amherst is a jewel of enlightenment, social mobility based on talent and preparation for leadership that we must all maintain.”

In the same press release, the alum pledging $25 million stated, “This gift is to support Amherst College’s commitment to providing the finest quality undergraduate education and to provide access to students of extraordinary potential, regardless of their ability to pay, enabling them to lead the lives of consequence to which we all aspire.”

Though the gifts mark an historic moment in the College’s history, Marx warned against a false sense of financial security that could result from such large gifts, remarking at the faculty meeting that “this does not mean that our budget issues have vanished” because the projected funds raised from the campaign are already built into the College’s budget.

Including these donations, the campaign has now raised $350 million of the $425 million goal, with four years still left to raise funds. ‘“In a difficult economic moment, when institutions and individuals have fewer resources, these unrestricted gifts to the endowment represent extraordinary votes of support for Amherst College and the mission of educational quality and access at liberal arts colleges in general,” said Marx.

He continued, “Going forward, we will rely on the commitments of all sizes to reach our campaign goal and ensure the College’s ability to preserve and strengthen its core values of academic excellence and accessibility to the most promising of students, regardless of their ability to pay.”