Penn State’s College of Communications will be renamed the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications in recognition of the famed television producer’s $30 million gift to endow the college.
The gift commitment from Bellisario — a 1961 Penn State graduate and creator of television shows such as ‘NCIS,’ ‘JAG,’ ‘Magnum, P.I.’ and ‘Quantum Leap’ — was announced Friday morning after a special Board of Trustees meeting where the renaming of the college was approved.
“It is an honor to give my support and name to the College of Communications,” Bellisario said. “Under the guidance of [College of Communications] Dean Marie Hardin, these new facilities, faculty chairs and student scholarships will assure there is no limit to what future graduates of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications can achieve.”
The gift is among the five largest in university history. It will support students and faculty and will create a state-of-the-art Donald P. Bellisario Media Center in Willard Building. The center will house television and digital studios and space for film and video production.
“Donald P. Bellisario ranks among Penn State’s most accomplished alumni, and his achievements and generosity will continue to inspire our students and faculty for generations to come,” Penn State President Eric Barron said. “Through this historic gift, the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications will have the resources to support future media pioneers as they pursue the same innovation, excellence and integrity that have characterized Don’s own career.”
The gift also includes a scholarship fund for undergraduate communications students, with first preference given to undergraduates who are U.S. military active duty members, veterans, reservists or National Guard.
Bellisario first enrolled at Penn State in 1953, but left to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps before returning and earning a degree in journalism. He became a leader in the advertising industry and then moved on to television, where he became an Emmy-nominated writer, producer and director of numerous hit shows.
Along with his wife, Vivienne, Bellisario in 2006 endowed the Donald P. Bellisario Trustee Scholarship with a $1 million gift. The scholarship has supported more than 350 students, many of them military members, and the Bellisarios continue to contribute to the fund.
“Don Bellisario is one of our greatest examples of how military experience and a Penn State education can prepare students for lifetimes of success and service,’ Barron said. ‘The Bellisario scholarship funds, paired with an investment by the University, will allow countless students to follow in his footsteps.”
The new gift also will create programs to give students real-world experience and internships and will support innovative programs and faculty.
“The success Don Bellisario has achieved makes all of us aspire to be greater ourselves,” Hardin said. “And the investment that he has already made in our college and our students has helped inspire a vision that this unprecedented gift will empower us to fulfill.”
