Bill Dietrich (1938-2011)… The gift furthers the university's ability to educate students in strong interdisciplinary problem-solving and supports the unique recipe for education offered by Carnegie Mellon's seven schools and colleges, all of which are leaders in their fields.
Calling Carnegie Mellon "a special place," Dietrich said he made this landmark gift to the university because of its global approach and the quality of its faculty and students, who bring interdisciplinary thinking and complex problem-solving strategies to real-world problems.
"A gift that enhances educational opportunities creates a multiplier effect for our communities and our country — in other words, it is a mode of giving that leverages a gift to achieve its maximum effectiveness," Dietrich said.
He continued, "Serving as a trustee of Carnegie Mellon convinced me that Carnegie Mellon is not only a great university, but that it is an important driver of the future success of this region and its citizens.
Dietrich added, "I have seen first-hand how Carnegie Mellon has maintained the same 'can-do' spirit and multi-disciplinary approach to problem-solving that was part of its founding, and that it is one of a handful of universities in the world that has the potential to become a truly global institution. All of this makes Carnegie Mellon a great investment."
In recognition of the gift, the university's College of Humanities and Social Sciences was named the Marianna Brown Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences after Dietrich's mother, a homemaker who inspired and supported Dietrich throughout his life.
Carnegie Mellon announced the gift on Sept. 7, 2011, with a webcast that spanned its campuses in Pittsburgh, Silicon Valley and Qatar, as well as program locations in Washington, D.C., Australia and Portugal.
Friends and family, including his daughter, Anna Elizabeth Diemer of San Francisco, Calif., joined Dietrich at the celebration.
"Bill has always loved history and now he is making history with this wonderful gift," said Carnegie Mellon President Jared L. Cohon. "Bill understands the special character of Carnegie Mellon with the unique ability of our faculty to work collaboratively at the intersections of science, technology, art, humanities, business and policy.
Marianna Brown Dietrich inspired her son to explore the world.
Bill Dietrich says he earned his success through "luck and pluck."