Cornell has received a $310,815 grant from the Exxon Education Foundation, which donates $3 for every $1 Exxon employees, retirees and surviving spouses contribute to colleges and universities.

The matching-gift contribution was presented to Cornell President Hunter Rawlings by K.C. Williams, vice president of production of Exxon Company International, on May 2. Williams' son Chad just completed his junior year at Cornell and his daughter Leigh-Ann will enter Cornell this fall.

"The Exxon Foundation's generous gift will help to further strengthen research and scholarship at Cornell," Rawlings said. "We applaud the foundation for encouraging the philanthropic interests of its employees by matching their gifts so generously."

The foundation's Educational Matching Gift Program encourages individuals to support higher education by directing funds to those colleges and universities that have served Exxon employees and retirees.

Out of 885 institutions participating in the program this year, Cornell ranks fourth in matching gifts and grants received. Exxon is currently the largest matching gift donor to Cornell, and its contribution represents the company's match of 105 employee-alumni and retiree gifts. Over the past five years, Exxon Educational Foundation has awarded more than $1.1 million to Cornell.

This year the foundation will provide $13.5 million in unrestricted grants to colleges and universities. It has provided more than $170 million to over 1,000 institutions of higher learning since the matching gift program began in 1962.