John K Vanier

Hailing from a prominent, wealthy Kansas ranching family, Vanier gave the largest gift in Kansas State history—$60 million—which included $20 million to renovate the Wildcats' football stadium. Perhaps the biggest beef man in a beefy state, Vanier served for 26 years on the board of agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland, which was the subject of a historic price-fixing suit in 1993. The Salina (Kan.) Journal reported that many felt the investigation—later the subject of a book and film called The Informant—was not taken seriously by the ADM board. He was close with Bob Dole, who allegedly secured a Department of Agriculture position for Vanier's daughter in 1988. Mr. Vanier, 86, and his wife, Donna, 90, and their three children, pledged $60-million to the Kansas State University Foundation. Of the total, $40-million will support fellowships and scholarships in the College of Technology and Aviation, the College of Business Administration, and in the Biosecurity Research Institute. The remaining $20-million will go toward athletics. All three children are Kansas State alumni.