NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has received a $1.5 million gift from the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation. Gayle Benson is the owner of the NFL's New Orleans Saints and the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans. Her late husband, Tom, purchased the Saints in 1985 and the Pelicans in 2012.The Bensons' gift will:
• Name the sanctuary of the University's St. Katharine Drexel Chapel the Gayle and Tom Benson Sanctuary.
• Establish the Gayle and Tom Benson Scholarship Fund.
The sanctuary — the area of the chapel immediately around the altar — was officially named during a Thursday ceremony which included Mass and a reception.
"Tom and I have always tried to give back to the local community and have been committed to investing into our city and region," Gayle Benson said. "This donation will serve as a platform for many generations to prosper at Xavier University of Louisiana and I am proud, humbled and honored to be a part of their continuing success."
The funds will provide operational and maintenance for the campus chapel, which opened in 2012. The St. Katharine Drexel Chapel, named for Xavier's founder, serves as a central location where Xavier community members of all faiths celebrate and remember Mother Katharine's deep love of God and belief that through evangelization and education Xavier would train students to become servant leaders in the world.
The scholarship fund will provide yearly awards to New Orleans area students up to $5,000 per semester, for a maximum of eight semesters per student. Scholarship recipients will be selected on the basis of their academic standing and documented financial need.
"Through their generosity, the Bensons are establishing a partnership with Xavier, the only historically Black and Catholic University in America, that allows us to continue our noble mission to help create a just and humane society. With this gift, the Bensons have invested in a brighter future for generations of our students to come," Xavier President Reynold Verret said. "Gayle and Tom Benson are dedicated members of the community who exemplify Xavier's mission and vision of service to the world."
"This commitment to Xavier ensures that our campus remains viable for our students, faculty and staff as we further our mission of forming young men and women who leave ready to lead, serve and care for their communities. We are grateful to the Bensons for their investment," said Xavier Board of Trustees President Sonia Perez.
Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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