Bellarmine receives $2.5M gift from family of Nolen Allen

Bellarmine University has received its second-largest individual contribution in school history -- a $2.5 million gift from the family of Nolen and Maydie Allen.

Nolen Allen, a founding partner in Louisville accounting firm Cotton and Allen, has taught tax and accounting courses at Bellarmine and serves as a member of the university's board of trustees. In 2006, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree.

The gift establishes an endowment that will fund several initiatives, including the construction of a graduate school of business. That was one of the key goals set forth in Vision 2020, Bellarmine's institutional plan that calls for tripling enrollment, doubling campus facilities and increasing its number of schools.

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"We have a long history with Bellarmine, and helping to guarantee its growth and future is something we see as not only a service to the school but as a service to the entire community and region," Nolen Allen said in a news release.

"For five decades now, Bellarmine has been helping supply the Louisville work force with outstanding employees," he said. "The university's Vision 2020 plan will continue to make Bellarmine crucial to the community's success."