Donor dinner celebrates record-setting year

---

Before receiving his Pinnacle Society medallion, Coach Jerry Tarkanian chats with charter member Harry Markus and Advancement VP Peter Smits.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johanson, long-time supporters, are among those inducted this year.

Ruby Markarian was lauded by President John Welty for putting the Alumni House drive over its goal.

Fresno State honored its top donors and celebrated a year of record contributions at the annual Pinnacle Society Dinner on May 1. About 200 guests gathered at University House for the induction of 13 new members and eight charter members into the group of individuals and corporations who, over a lifetime or a period of years, have made gifts of $100,000 or more to the university.

New members of the group received Pinnacle Society bronze medallions bearing the familiar Ansel Adams image of "Moon and Half Dome." Among those new members were Ms. Ruby Markarian, whose $150,000 gift to the Smittcamp Alumni House put the $1.1 million matching fund drive over the top. Corporate donors included Alias/Wavefront Inc., a Canadian firm that recently gave more than $3 million in software to the School of Engineering and Computer Science.

President John D. Welty told dinner guests, "You are positioning us for a leadership role in higher education, both in the state of California and the nation, as we complete the final year of the 20th century and look toward the new millennium."

Recently Dr. Peter Smits, vice president for university advancement, announced that just 10 months into the 1998-99 fiscal year, private giving to Fresno State has reached nearly $20.7 million. Most of that amount is for academic programs, and $6.8 million is for athletics.

Scott Warrington, associate vice president for university development, said that '98-'99 is the first year that nine of the top 10 gifts have been given for non-athletic purposes. "A substantial number of these gifts are for academics, and that is an important development.

"These gifts show a new awareness on the part of donors of the scope of university needs," Warrington said.

Among charter members of the Pinnacle Society inducted this year were the Ag One Foundation, the Bulldog Foundation, both the California State University, Fresno Association and the Foundation, the Alumni Association and the Bertha and John Garabedian Charitable Foundation.

10 Donors to University for 1998-99

Alias/Wavefront Inc.	$3,376,275	School of Engineering and Computer Science
Fresno Merchants Assn.	$1,700,000	Sid Craig School of Business
Anonymous	$1,001,837	Athletics
Earl S. Smittcamp	$1,000,000	Smittcamp Alumni House
Anonymous	$945,000	School of Agricultural Sciences and Technology
F. Harold Downing, M.D.	$535,000	Downing Planetarium, School of Natural Sciences
Sid and Jenny Craig Foundation	$500,000	Sid Craig School of Business
Anonymous	$425,000	School of Education and Human Development
Leon S. Peters Foundation	$424,590	Classroom of the Future ­ Save Mart Center
Pete P. Peters Foundation	$416,405	Classroom of the Future ­ Save Mart Center
TOP TEN TOTAL	$10,324,207