Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) has received a gift of $30 million from Mr. Stanley F. Pauley via The Pauley Family Foundation, a college press release cited Friday afternoon. This transformational gift, the largest in the college’s history, will support the construction of a new, state-of-the-art science facility, which will be named the Pauley Science Center.

Officials in the release noted that Pauley is the chairman and chief executive officer of Carpenter Co., a large producer of polyurethane materials. Carpenter Co. was founded by E. Rhodes Carpenter, a member of the Hampden-Sydney College class of 1929. Through The Pauley Family Foundation, Pauley has been a generous benefactor of many important educational and arts institutions, and he is a former member of the Hampden-Sydney Board of Trustees.

“I believe Hampden-Sydney offers young men an education of extraordinary value,” Pauley said in the release. “I am not a graduate of Hampden-Sydney, but I am inspired by the college’s unwavering 244-year commitment to scientific literacy and preparing its graduates for career success, advancing scientific progress and contributing to our society’s well-being. I am thrilled to invest in an institution that is making a real difference, a college that represents the best of American higher education.”

The Pauley Science Center will be among the most ambitious construction projects in the college’s history, the release stated. The vision for the facility includes state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, equipment and interactive spaces to support first-class science teaching, research and scholarly activity.

“Thanks to Mr. Pauley’s remarkable generosity, the Pauley Science Center will strengthen Hampden-Sydney’s ability to offer students one of the best undergraduate science programs in the country,” H-SC President Dr. Larry Stimpert said in the release. “The impact Mr. Pauley’s gift will have on our students cannot be overstated, as every Hampden-Sydney student must develop a strong scientific foundation, regardless of his major. At the same time, the Pauley Science Center will even better prepare our science students to be highly successful — competitive for the best job opportunities and the finest medical, engineering and other graduate programs.”

Officials noted in the release that science has been a pillar of Hampden-Sydney’s curriculum since the college opened in 1775 — one of the institution’s earliest purchases was for science equipment — and small class sizes and committed, Ph.D.-level faculty members enable students to engage in collaborative, high-level research opportunities.

“Mr. Pauley’s gift will begin the next chapter of a long history of successful outcomes for Hampden-Sydney students,” Stimpert said in the release. “Technological and scientific advances are occurring every day. Many pose significant legal, ethical, economic and social challenges. We seek to develop in all Hampden-Sydney students the scientific literacy needed to be informed and effective citizens and professionals. We expect our graduates to be the leaders best prepared to make advances in medicine, engineering and traditional science fields and to be pioneers and leaders in new fields of inquiry, including genetic research, artificial intelligence, data analytics, computer hardware and software development, cybersecurity and other emerging technology fields.”

In recent years, Hampden-Sydney student research has resulted in an impressive array of presentations and posters at major conferences, peer-reviewed articles in major scientific journals and four recipients in six years of the Goldwater Scholarship — one of the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate science awards, the release cited. Many science majors continue their education at medical, dental, veterinary science and research institutions, and Hampden-Sydney has early selection agreements with a number of graduate programs, including the schools of medicine at George Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University.

H-SC Vice President for College Advancement Heather L. Krajewski said in the release, “This incredible, momentum-shifting gift represents an unprecedented level of generosity for the college and will undoubtedly inspire others to follow Mr. Pauley’s example. With an estimated total cost of $40 million, we are already working to raise the remaining $10 million needed for this transformative project.”

The release pointed out that the Pauley Science Center follows the recent construction of the Brown Student Center, the renovation of Brinkley Hall, formerly Winston Hall, to create the Viar-Christ Center for the Arts, the transformation of Pannill Commons’ lower level into the Pannill Center for Rhetoric and Communication and the groundbreaking for a new upperclassmen residence complex overlooking Lake Chalgrove.

“While this gift is the largest in our college’s storied history, it does not represent the culmination of our goals,” Stimpert added in the release. “Rather, it underscores the high aspirations we have for this college and the exceptional education we offer young men. Every gift, no matter the size, helps us transform the lives of our students. We are immensely grateful for Mr. Pauley’s confidence in Hampden-Sydney, and we encourage all of our alumni and friends to join us as we, together, pursue an ambitious future for Hampden-Sydney College.”