PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Temple University graduate, who was initially turned down for admission, has given the school its largest gift ever.
Temple announced Friday it is renaming its School of Public Health after Christopher M. Barnett, in recognition of his $55 million donation.
It all began years ago when Barnett, with a GED and some community college credits, was denied admission to Temple University. So he flew from Fort Lauderdale to Philadelphia, and camped outside Temple's admissions office until the director agreed to meet with him.
"I pleaded my case as if it were all on the line and I made her a promise: If she reversed her decision, I would graduate with a 4.0 GPA, become a prominent alum and give back to the university," Barnett said Friday at a campus ceremony reopening the renovated Paley Hall.
Barnett was admitted to Temple and graduated in 2010. He went on to found Florida-based ABA Centers of America, an autism care provider.
"That experience of being given an opportunity, of being invested in when the odds were uncertain, has shaped every part of me. And it's why I feel so strongly about investing in future generations of Temple students," said Barnett, a member of the Temple University Board of Trustees.
Twenty million dollars of his gift will go toward an autism center at the school.
Barnett's $55 million donation eclipses a $27.5 million gift to Temple by philanthropists Caroline and Sidney Kimmel in April.