Jan. 8, 1998 Contact Maureen Shine (541) 346-3145 Source: Jane Gary, associate dean, UO School of Law, (541) 346-2125 EUGENE--It's a coveted grant that comes through in the fund-raising homestretch of a five-star capital project, and the University of Oregon School of Law is getting one for its new building. The law school was notified in December that it will receive a $500,000 grant from The Kresge Foundation. The money will go toward the construction of the William W. Knight Law Center. "This is an extremely significant grant," said Rennard Strickland, dean of the UO School of Law. "There is an enormous amount of competition for these prestigious grants and the fact that the University of Oregon's new law building was chosen for funding validates the quality and value of the project." The Kresge grant is the foundation's first to the UO. It challenges the law school to raise the balance needed to fund the building by Dec. 1, 1998. All but $1.1 million has been raised for the $25.6 million project. Construction activity on the new, state-of-the-art law center at East 15th Avenue and Agate Street began in June 1997. Targeted to open in early 1999, the 138,000-square-foot facility will have more classrooms and flexible study and meeting areas. It will double the law library space, making it possible to store the library's entire collection, one-third of which is now stored elsewhere on campus. It also will offer state-of-the art connectivity to on-line information data bases and on-line classes, as well as live video teleconferencing. The new law center is being financed with $10.3 million from the sale of state bonds and $15.3 million from private gifts and grants. It will be named in honor of 1932 law school graduate William W. Knight, whose son, Philip Knight, last year committed $10 million to the law school building project. The Michigan-based Kresge Foundation is an independent, private foundation created in 1924 by Sebastian S. Kresge "to promote the well-being of mankind." The foundation's grants are made toward projects involving construction or renovation of facilities and the purchase of major capital equipment or real estate. Grants are made on a challenge basis, requiring the raising of the remaining funds, thereby insuring completion of the projects. -30- #G-4038/Local, OrDailies, OrLaw, OrBUS