HBCU, News

Single Donor Gives $63 Million to Morgan State University, Bringing Total to $103 Million

Jamie Jackson
October 17, 2025

Reading Time: < 1 minute

(AURN News) — Morgan State University has received a $63 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. According to the university, this is the second donation Scott has made, bringing her total contributions to $103 million.

The university says the gift is unrestricted and will be used to strengthen its endowment, student success programs, and other initiatives.

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, March 4, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

“To receive one historic gift from Ms. Scott was an incredible honor; to receive two speaks volumes about the confidence she and her team have in our institution’s stewardship, leadership, and trajectory. This is more than philanthropy — it’s a partnership in progress,” Morgan State University President David K. Wilson said in a statement.

Scott made a $40 million donation in 2020, the largest individual gift in the university’s history.

Morgan State University, the nation’s third-largest HBCU, was founded in 1867.

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Jamie Jackson is an Emmy-nominated television and radio broadcaster who has served American Urban Radio Networks since 2015. He previously covered the Obama and Trump administrations as a White House Correspondent and Pool Reporter for AURN News. Jamie hosted a national PBS television special in 2023 and over the years has worked as a TV news anchor and local NPR host for stations across the country. His work has been honored by numerous organizations, including the NAACP and the Virginia Farm Bureau.