The Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder announced today that alumnus Richard “Dick” M. Burridge Sr. (’51 finance) has made a $2.5 million gift that, combined with other commitments, will establish a new chair, the Burridge Chair in Finance, the first to be established within the school.

“This endowed chair is one major step in my drive to advance not only the finance division, but the entire Leeds School to the forefront of business education,” said Dean David Ikenberry. “Given the remarkable Colorado-based investment community, it is fitting and appropriate that this gift be named for one of the pre-eminent experts in investment finance and that, in turn, it will help Leeds educate future leaders in key areas of finance. Gifts such as this are indeed vital for the Leeds School to compete at the highest level.”

Through this gift, Burridge, whose early philanthropic efforts in 1997 also helped establish the Burridge Center for Securities Analysis and Valuation at Leeds, is extending his ongoing support for the school and the center through volunteering and philanthropy. “My gift enhances the efforts of new dean David Ikenberry to expand the depth and quality of the school’s finance faculty,” said Burridge. “It will also help the dean realize the goal of being one of the top business schools in the country.”

The center creates and shares knowledge relating to financial markets, principally the U.S. financial markets. The center also encourages professional investment managers, finance scholars, policymakers and the investing public to exchange ideas, and ultimately helps stimulate relevant financial research to help both markets and investors.

“Dick Burridge Sr. is a longtime supporter of the Leeds School as well as the University of Colorado Boulder campus,” said Phil DiStefano, chancellor of CU-Boulder. “His investment in the endowed chair will enhance the visibility and reputation of the school and further elevate an already very strong finance faculty.”

“Over the past three decades, no one has had a greater commitment to the success of the university, and the Leeds School in particular, than Dick Burridge,” said Michael Leeds, co-chair of the Creating Futures campaign for the Leeds School of Business.

“He has been a true partner to the school and the CU Foundation as the Investment Policy committee chair. It is no surprise that Dick is spearheading the recent public announcement of the Creating Futures campaign with this wonderful gift,” said Leeds.

The Burridge gift is one of the first major gifts announced during the public phase of the Creating Futures fundraising campaign launched in April 2011. Since inception in 2006, the campaign has raised over 200,000 gifts toward a goal of $1.5 billion to support teaching, research, outreach and health programs on the University of Colorado’s four campuses.