His college golf teammates hold the Illini records for most times named Big Ten player of the year (Steve Stricker) and coach of the year (Mike Small).
And as of February 2020, Don Edwards has a school best of his own — for the largest gift ever given by a trustee to the University of Illinois.
Don (’88/finance) and wife Anne Edwards (’88/accounting) pledged a $10 million gift to their alma mater, with the money being divvied up between the Gies College of Business, the Discovery Partners Institute, the Ubben Basketball Complex and Small’s men’s golf program.
“My wife, Anne, and I are thrilled to make this $10 million gift to the university that transformed our lives,” said the trustees board chair and 1988 finance grad. “We want to pay forward the opportunities we have enjoyed, supporting the students and innovation that are key to progress and economic growth for our state and our nation.”
Edwards is CEO of Flexpoint Ford, a private equity investment firm he founded in 2005. A UI trustee since his 2017 appointment by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, he’s also on the board of commissioners for the Chicago Park District, the board of directors for World Business Chicago, the board of trustees for the Museum of Contemporary Art and the board of trustees at Lurie Children´s Hospital.
