Record $6 Million Donation For Salem State University

SALEM, MA — A record $6 million donation will help some Salem State University students complete their degrees.

The school said SSU alumna Kim Gassett-Schiller and her husband, Philip Schiller, made the largest ever cash gift to one of the nine state universities.

The gift includes $5 million toward the Viking Completion Grant Endowment, designed to "assist undergraduate seniors in overcoming their final financial hurdle before graduation" and that will benefit 50 to 75 students every year in perpetuity.

The remaining $1 million will go toward student resources at Salem State, including the Center for Academic Excellence and the Harold E. and Marilyn J. Gassett Fitness and Recreation Center, as well as "emerging university priorities."

"No words could adequately describe our gratitude to Kim and Philip," Salem State University President John Keenan said of the historic donation by the Schillers, who are both Massachusetts natives living in California. "Kim and Philip have positively shaped the lives of thousands of students. Their new gift will continue this impact for generations of learners to come.

"We are forever appreciative of and inspired by the Schillers' philanthropy."

Gassett-Schiller graduated from Salem State University with a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1983 and made her first gift to her alma mater in the form of $1. Since then, she has contributed consistently to numerous Salem State initiatives. She also served as co-chair for Salem State's 10,000 Reasons campaign from 2011 to 2016.

The university presented her with another honorary degree in 2018.

"Philip and I are grateful that we are able to establish the Viking Completion Grants," she said. "When we learned that some Salem State students, who achieve so much and are so close to graduating, risk dropping out for financial reasons, we had to step up. This gift will remove that risk and make earning a Salem State degree possible. We hope our gift will inspire others to support our students in any way."

Leeann Singleton benefited from a previous donation from Gassett-Schiller and her husband that helped her on her way to her 2019 graduation.

"I borrowed thousands of dollars in student loans and I paid my own tuition bill while I was in school," she said. "The generosity of the Gassett-Schiller family alleviated some of my financial hardships and allowed me to allocate more of my focus onto my studies. Their new support is incredible.

"It will help many, many students like me."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)