With academic pomp befitting the philanthropic circumstances, the university celebrated the successful conclusion of the $1.52 billion Johns Hopkins Initiative.

A convocation and dinner held Oct. 14 at Homewood honored the friends of the university--alumni, parents, former patients, foundations and corporations among them--who donated to the most successful fund-raising campaign in the history of the university and Johns Hopkins Health System. More than 1,000 of the 130,000 who made gifts during the campaign attended the Saturday events.

"Because of our support, Johns Hopkins has been able to make the world a better place," Michael R. Bloomberg, chairman of the university's board of trustees, said at the convocation in Shriver Hall.

University board of trustees chair Michael Bloomberg greets JHM board of trustees chair Ed Dunn (top) and trustee emeritus Harvey Meyerhoff (middle) and Morton and Tobia Mower (bottom).

Donors of $100,000 and above--1,546 donors responsible as a group for $1.35 billion, or nearly 90 percent of the campaign's total gifts--were awarded medals bearing the likeness of the university's first philanthropist, Baltimore merchant Johns Hopkins. Bloomberg told them they should take pride in what they had done.

"What we have accomplished is really pretty amazing," Bloomberg said. "We have nearly doubled the number of scholarships and fellowships ... . We have created 130 new named professorships ... . We literally changed the landscape on our campuses, with more than 20 new buildings and renovations Š . We launched important new academic and clinical programs. We have supported an incredible variety of research and scholarly projects."

Johns Hopkins Initiative co-chairs Lenox D. Baker Jr. and R. Champlin Sheridan were awarded the President's Medal for their leadership during the campaign.

Trustee Lenox Baker, Historic Houses' Cindy Kelly, School of Medicine professor Tom Kelly and President Brody

The Johns Hopkins Initiative ended June 30, having twice far surpassed goals that were thought to be near the limits of what was possible. When the campaign was publicly announced in October 1994, the target was set at $900 million. That goal was passed, however, in 1998, two years ahead of schedule, and the trustees reset the bar to $1.2 billion.

Both Bloomberg and keynote speaker C. Michael Armstrong, chairman of AT&T Corp., noted the importance of the example of the campaign's leadership donors to future Johns Hopkins supporters, including students. Armstrong, a university and Johns Hopkins Medicine trustee, cited a Dutch proverb, "Who gives to me, teaches me to give."

"The gifts we celebrate here today will only increase in value over time," Armstrong said, "because they ensure that the cycle of giving that is the lifeblood of Johns Hopkins will be carried on."

Columnist Russell Baker and President Bill Brody

Trustee Furlong Baldwin with Debbie Sheridan and Initiative co-chair Champ Sheridan

President emeritus Steve Muller and his wife, Jill McGovern

Trustee Paula Boggs

Provost Steve Knapp; Md. Sen. Barbara Hoffmann, Center for Talented Youth; Nancy and president emeritus Bill Richardson

Multimedia presentation

Trustee Shale Stiller and his wife, Ellen Heller; trustee Roger Lipitz and his wife, Flo; and Linda Smeyne, School of Public Health

Former mayor Kurt Schmoke, Siegfried and Sandra Levi Gerstung and Ryda Levi, seated

Piano men: President Bill Brody and Peabody director Bob Sirota take a bow after a well-received duet.