University Philanthropy and Public Enterprise — what history tells us about why benefactors like universities

Abstract

The University of Sydney has a surprisingly rich philanthropic tradition. This colloquium discussed the history of philanthropy at Sydney including college philanthropy and two of the University’s great bequests—the Power Bequest and the McCaughey Bequest—and raised questions about the importance of philanthropy to public enterprise. The colloquium was held on Wednesday 8 June 2011 at the University of Sydney in conjunction with the University of Sydney’s Nation, Empire, Globe Research Cluster and the History of University Life Seminar Series