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DU Announces $40M In Donations

DENVER (CBS4) - It was an exciting day on Monday for the University of Denver as the school the school announced $40 million in donations.

The money will be used to launch a new science, technology, engineering and mathematics initiative.

Chancellor Emeritus Daniel Ritchie donated $27 million, making it the largest gift in DU history.

The university plans to construct a new engineering and computer science building. Ritchie said he wanted to make the gift to address a shortage of engineers for Colorado businesses.

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"The world is changing where the need is really increasing, especially in Colorado. So I shouldn't wait until then to do this. Moreover, this is kind of fun, as you can see," Ritchie said.

Ritchie served as DU's chancellor for 15 years. Other donors included Betty Knoebell and the late Bill Petersen.

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