On Sept. 4, at Georgia Tech’s annual Institute Address, President Ángel Cabrera announced that Tech had received the largest single gift in its history: $100 million. The late John W. Durstine, a 1957 mechanical engineering graduate, left the transformative estate gift to the Institute in support of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. 

Durstine grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, before enrolling at Tech in 1952. While he would go on to study at Harvard Business School and enjoy a highly successful career as an executive with Ford Motor Company in Michigan, he never lost touch with Georgia Tech, maintaining relationships with faculty and staff over the years. 

Ward Winer and William Wepfer, who both served as the Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. School Chair for the Woodruff School, kept in touch with Durstine and visited with him regularly in Michigan where he lived until the time of his death. The warmth of these relationships, and the confidence Durstine had in the administration’s strategic vision for the Woodruff School, were among the factors that affirmed Durstine’s decision to support his alma mater with such an enormous gift, Wepfer said. 

Durstine also met with several Development staff members over the years, and in 1999, he began discussions with Ann Dibble, then director of Gift Planning at Georgia Tech, about making an estate gift. Dibble, now retired, said his estate gift would be his way “to give back to the university that launched him on his career.” 

In a 2010 meeting with Wepfer and Dibble, Durstine disclosed the details of his estate. He also made it clear he did not want the magnitude of his high-value estate shared beyond these two confidants. Underscoring his quiet, selfless persona, Dibble said he “didn’t want any fanfare or attention.” 

Often part of estate plans, planned giving is a way for donors to make future gifts, usually providing them with tax benefits and flexibility, making way for long-term funding of lasting-impact investments such as endowments. “A lot of times, people will make their largest gift through their estate — once they know that their loved ones are cared for,” said Dibble. 

Noting how much of an enormous boost Durstine’s gift would be to the Woodruff School, Raheem Beyah, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, who served as dean of the College of Engineering at the time of the announcement, said: “This gift provides once-in-a-lifetime resources for the Woodruff School. By investing in the people who teach, inspire, and mentor our students, Mr. Durstine has strengthened the core of the Woodruff School and put it in a class of its own. His legacy is a testament to the extraordinary loyalty and vision of our alumni.” 

Durstine’s gift will offer vital support for faculty endowments, providing permanent funds to support faculty research, intellectual property, and resources for teaching and mentoring. 

“John Durstine’s historic generosity is deeply inspiring to all of us working to carry out the Institute’s mission,” said President Cabrera. “John could have left his estate to many good causes, and he chose to invest in Georgia Tech’s faculty because he knew firsthand the transformative impact that our outstanding faculty have on the lives and careers of our students. This gift will have an enduring impact and will ensure that Georgia Tech faculty have the resources to push the boundaries of mechanical engineering, inspire our students, and help improve the human condition. His legacy will live on in every discovery, every innovation, and every student who learns from the faculty his gift supports.” 

The Woodruff School is already among the nation’s top-ranked mechanical engineering programs, and strengthening the School’s position was Durstine’s vision for his gift. “His generosity will propel the Woodruff School’s academic excellence,” Dibble said. 

To maintain the momentum from Durstine’s gift and meet future challenges, the Woodruff School will continue to seek philanthropic support for three interconnected priorities: faculty talent, student experience, and innovation infrastructure to ensure that the Woodruff School — and Georgia Tech — continue to advance technology and improve the human condition.

To make a gift or commitment to Georgia Tech’s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, contact Jaimie Hayes, senior director of Development, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, at jaimie.hayes@me.gatech.edu. To arrange a planned gift, contact Baylor Bassett, assistant vice president, Gift Planning, at baylor.bassett@dev.gatech.edu.