JP Conte’s Gift Put Colgate’s West Campus Plan Over the Finish Line at $105 Million

Colgate University’s Campaign for the Third Century set a $1 billion fundraising goal in 2022, billed as the largest effort ever mounted by a liberal arts institution of its size. The West Campus initiative reached $105 million in total alumni investment when a series of major gifts was announced in May 2025. JP Conte’s $25 million commitment was among the first made and names the anchor building of the entire plan.

The announcement included the largest single gift in Colgate history: $50 million from Peter Kellner ’65, P’87, GP’16,’19. Three $10 million leadership gifts followed, from Becky Hurley ’81 and Christopher Hurley ’81, P’12,’12; Robert Fox ’59, GP’23,’25; and Stephen Sprague ’72. Fox House at 70 Broad Street takes its name from the Fox contribution. Conte’s naming gift for the Social Center established the anchor structure of the entire plan, formally to be named Conte House. Conte, whose work as a private equity professional spans multiple decades, has channeled returns from that career into institutional philanthropic commitments.

Colgate President Brian W. Casey framed the stakes when the gifts were announced: “Colgate intends to offer the strongest residential liberal arts education in America, and the West Campus initiative is key to achieving that vision.” Vice President and Dean of the College Paul McLoughlin described the residential aims as efforts to help students “build community” and “build the skills to live independently and to be good citizens after they graduate.”

JP Conte is a 1985 Colgate graduate and the founder and Managing Partner of Lupine Crest Capital. His philanthropic work through the J-P Conte Family Foundation, established in 2017, spans education, medical research, and conservation. His board service includes the Colgate Board of Trustees, the UCSF Foundation, and the Hoover Institution. The Conte First Generation Fund, which he established to support students across multiple universities, reflects the same commitment that drove the $25 million gift to Colgate.

Colgate University’s Campaign for the Third Century set a $1 billion fundraising goal in 2022, billed as the largest effort ever mounted by a liberal arts institution of its size. The West Campus initiative reached $105 million in total alumni investment when a series of major gifts was announced in May 2025. JP Conte’s $25…

Colgate University’s Campaign for the Third Century set a $1 billion fundraising goal in 2022, billed as the largest effort ever mounted by a liberal arts institution of its size. The West Campus initiative reached $105 million in total alumni investment when a series of major gifts was announced in May 2025. JP Conte’s $25…