1972 Monmouth College graduate donates more than $4M to the school

Galesburg Register-Mail
·2 min read

More than $4 million is coming to Monmouth College thanks to a generous donor.

The $4.15 million commitment from alumna Karen Krueger will help Monmouth students who want to study abroad and support faculty in developing short-term and semester-long study abroad opportunities, according to a news release.

It will also establish the Krueger Center for Global Engagement at Monmouth College. The Krueger Center will include the Karen Krueger Chair in Global Engagement and an endowed fund to support activities such as study abroad, globally themed internships and research projects, intensive language instruction, and campus speakers and symposia.

"My goal is to open doors to students, especially those who might not have even thought they would have the opportunity to learn more about the world outside the U.S. by experiencing it first-hand," said Krueger, who grew up in Joliet, Illinois.

Karen Krueger, a 1972 Monmouth College graduate, has donated more than $4 million to the college.
Karen Krueger, a 1972 Monmouth College graduate, has donated more than $4 million to the college.

More: Monmouth College receives $20M gift

Krueger, a 1972 graduate of the college, now lives in the Washington D.C. area. She has a lifelong commitment to education, learning and to global engagement through a 41-year career with the U.S. Department of State. She retired twice from the Department of State — first, from the Foreign Service in 2005, then in 2018 after 13 years as a Civil Service Officer.

Krueger said Monmouth College is the "perfect college for this kind of commitment."

"With Monmouth's focus on the liberal arts, students are assured of receiving a well-rounded education that will serve them well in whatever path they choose after graduation. Exposure to the larger world through study and personal engagement can build on that and help prepare them to live, work and lead in an increasingly complex and changing world," she said in a news release.

Monmouth President Clarence Wyatt said the donation gives students something to look up to.

"Karen has said that she regards Monmouth students as her 'kids.' Her career is a wonderful example of ambition and service for the students of Monmouth College," said Monmouth President Clarence Wyatt in a news release. "Her gifts represent an incredible legacy for them and for the generations of Scots to come. They are an extraordinary affirmation of how Monmouth College changes for the better the arc of students' lives and serves as a powerful example and inspiration for others."

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Monmouth College receives $4.15 million gift from a graduate