Graduate antes up for new law school

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Today, Marquette University Law School announced a $2 million donation toward construction of its new law school from 1965 graduate Wylie Aitken and his wife.

The California attorney formed Aitken Aitken Cohn in Santa Ana and received the law school’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.

In a statement, Dean Joseph D. Kearney, said the $2 million was the "largest gift to date from a practicing attorney."

Previously, Kearney has said the school planned to contact local and national alumni to seek contributions for the $85 million project. Link

While the doors of Eckstein Hall are on schedule to open in fall of this year, Kearney stated that approximately $14 million still needs to be raised.

Alumni Raymond A. and Katherine A. Eckstein, an alumni couple from Cassville, Wis., donated $51 million in May 2007 and Milwaukee real estate developer and alumnus Joseph Zilber, contributed $5 million toward construction of the building and $25 million for student scholarships in 2007.

The Bradley Foundation was the first major donor, with a gift of $1 million in April 2007. Other gifts have included a $1 million donation from Northwestern Mutual Foundation in February 2009 as well as several seven-figure pledges from anonymous donors.