Butler lands alumni gifts for business school, athletics

Butler University has received a pair of donations from alumni that will help improve its business and athletic programs, the school announced Thursday.

Graduates Sean and Erin McGould contributed $1 million that will be used to help fund an investment room in the new Andre B. Lacy School of Business.

In addition, friends and fraternity brothers of 1989 Butler University graduate Matt White, who died Friday, have contributed an undisclosed amount to help pay for renovations to the practice court at Efroymson Family Gym. Butler called the gift “major.”

McGould Investment Room

The McGould Investment Room will serve as the home to the University’s Student-Managed Investment Fund, a real investment portfolio worth $3 million managed by students for the University. The room is expected to contain the latest in investment technology, including eight Bloomberg terminals.

Sean McGould was an accounting major at Butler who graduated in 1989. He serves on the Lacy School of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and is the CEO of Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Erin is a 1993 graduate of Butler's Jordan College of the Arts.

The 110,000-square-foot Andre B. Lacy School of Business building is expected to open in the fall.

Matt White Court

The donation in honor of White will be used to support upgrades to the Efroymson Family Gym, including new flooring, lighting, and air conditioning. The renovated gym will mirror the look of the Hinkle Fieldhouse court.

The practice court has been renamed Matt White Court.

White was a member of the track and cross-country teams at Butler and a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He battled ALS for the past 19 years prior to his death. He earned his telecommunications degree from Butler before launching a career in advertising sales with Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications.

“Every Bulldog has a lot to learn about The Butler Way from Matt, his story and his toughness,” Butler Director of Athletics Barry Collier said in written remarks. “Some have referred to Matt as Butler’s biggest fan. And while that might be true, Matt should also be known as one of Butler’s most inspiring Bulldogs for the way he lived his life.”

The Matt White Scholarship was established at Butler in 2004 by White’s family and friends. It supports Butler student-athletes with preference given to those in the field of broadcast communications.