Today Cornell University announced a historic gift in support of its proposal to establish an applied science and technology campus in New York City. The gift from an anonymous donor totaling $350 million is the largest in the university's history. The following is a statement from Cornell President David J. Skorton:

I am thankful and proud that this extraordinary individual gift will support Cornell's goal to realize Mayor Bloomberg's vision for New York City. He has inspired us all in the higher education sector. At Cornell, our entire community has come together, in a way that happens only so often in an institution's history, with winning ideas, energy and the creativity that the Mayor's challenge deserves.

Cornell and the Technion are deeply committed to partnering with New York City to build the world's leading campus dedicated to technology and enterprise. Our vision is to build a truly 21st-century campus that will fuel the city's growing tech sector and spur the creation of new businesses and new industries for decades to come. Our proposal for a multidisciplinary institution combining world-class applied science research, entrepreneurship and commercialization will accelerate New York City's transformation into a world leader in technology innovation. We look forward to continuing to discuss our proposal and our vision with the Bloomberg administration as the process moves forward.