Georgia Tech Receives Record $100 Million Gift from Alumnus John W. Durstine

Georgia Tech’s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering will receive a transformative $100 million bequest from the late alumnus John W. Durstine, the largest single gift in Institute history. The announcement was made by Georgia Tech as they shared that the donation will establish endowed chairs, professorships, and faculty awards, ensuring the school can continue recruiting and retaining world-class educators for generations to come.

“John Durstine’s historic generosity is deeply inspiring,” said President Ángel Cabrera. “His legacy will live on in every discovery, every innovation, and every student who learns from the faculty his gift supports.”

The Woodruff School, home to more than 110 faculty and 3,000 students, is a national leader in mechanical and nuclear engineering, advancing research in robotics, bioengineering, AI, advanced manufacturing, and nuclear technology. Durstine’s gift will support faculty excellence, seed interdisciplinary research, and expand student programs like Capstone Design, the Flowers Invention Studio, and the Student Competition Center.

Durstine, a Birmingham, Alabama native, earned his mechanical engineering degree from Georgia Tech in the 1950s and later an MBA from Harvard Business School. He spent over three decades at Ford Motor Company, shaping truck and light vehicle design, powertrain strategy, and advanced systems engineering.

The institution noted that Durstine, who died in February, maintained a close relationship with Tech throughout his lifetime. He was inducted into the College of Engineering Hall of Fame in 2014, an honor he treasured.

“This gift provides once-in-a-lifetime resources for the Woodruff School,” said Raheem Beyah, dean of the College of Engineering. Durstine’s philanthropy began in 1978 with a modest $100 contribution and grew over four decades into this historic endowment.

The John W. Durstine Endowment will be managed by the Georgia Tech Foundation to ensure perpetual support for faculty, students, and innovation infrastructure. The gift is part of Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech, a $2 billion initiative through 2027 to advance resources for students, faculty, and campus facilities.