Western Receives $1 Million Gift

DANBURY —  Jason and Ellen M. Hancock of Ridgefield are donating $1 million to establish a student endowment fund at Western Connecticut State University. The contribution is the largest private gift ever received by WestConn.

James R. Roach, WestConn’s president, announced the donation this week and thanked the Hancocks for their commitment. Dr Roach also announced that the Hancock contribution has been designated as the university’s first centennial gift, given to the school in recognition of the forthcoming anniversary of WestConn’s founding in 1903.

The Hancock endowment fund will generate scholarships supporting Western students each year beginning in the spring.

Jason Hancock received a master’s degree in English from Western in 1981 and he was also an adjunct professor at the university from 1985 to 1997.  Ellen Hancock received an honorary degree from Western in 1993. Both retired from IBM. Ellen is now chairman and CEO of Exodus Communications Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. Exodus is a leading computer Web-hosting company with 40 data centers serving more than 4,000 customers worldwide.