Gift to Fund Amphitheater, Boost IU Kelley

The school says Prebys' gift

A $20 million gift from an Indiana University graduate and developer will help IU’s Kelley School of Business attract and retain teaching talent and fund a new amphitheater on the Bloomington campus. The donation from California-based Progress Construction and Management President Conrad Prebys is part of the "For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign," which is aiming to raise $2.5 billion.

The South Bend native graduated from the school in 1955 with a bachelor’s in general management. He started his company in the mid-1960s. Progress now owns over 80 apartment complexes and self-storage facilities in California.

IU President Michael McRobbie calls the gift "transformational" and says "his wonderful donation will enable us to enhance career placement activities at the Kelley School of Business that corporate recruiters already rank No. 1 in the nation and provide our student artists and performers with a new type of performance venue in which to showcase their outstanding talents."

From the donation, the school will launch the Conrad Prebys Endowed Faculty Program, which will endow four professorships and a chair and support more than 30 undergraduates from underrepresented populations. It will also fund improvements to the Kelly School’s career services facilities and a new 1,700 square-foot executive meeting room at Hodge Hall.

The new outdoor amphitheater will be located between Bryan House and Ballantine Hall. It will be used for summer performances from the Jacobs School of Music, the Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance, visiting artists and other university events.

Prebys says "I love Indiana University, the beautiful Bloomington campus, and it’s exciting to be able to make this gift to the university. I am very proud to help the Kelley School build on its strong foundation and further its profound promise to students and their futures."