Oakland, CA–February 20, 2008. Philanthropists Gordon and Betty Moore have announced a $4 million gift to Mills College to support the construction costs of the recently completed Natural Sciences Building. The new building will be named the Betty Irene Moore Natural Sciences Building in recognition of this gift.

"We want to support the best in the world. That's why we chose Mills. I'm happy to be on board," said Betty Moore.

The Betty Irene Moore Natural Sciences Building will advance women's opportunities in science education and careers through innovative research and learning within an interdisciplinary center that include fields such as biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, biopsychology, chemistry, and environmental science.

"I want to acknowledge how gratifying this support is for Mills and for me personally," said Mills College President Janet L. Holmgren. "Gordon and Betty Moore have set an extraordinary standard in support of making our human and natural environment healthier for generations to come. Mills is very grateful and proud to be a part of that work."

The Moores' gift has propelled Mills College into the home stretch of its drive to complete fundraising for the building, with just $200,000 remaining of the original $17.2-million project. The College also received a $1 million challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation last fall and has already exceeded this challenge with the receipt of this recent gift.

The Moores and their foundation do not award gifts to build facilities, but made an exception for the Mills building because it was already completed, and its mission reflected the Moores' values. Betty Moore said she has always had an interest in the sciences, especially in nature, botany, and biology. Between her summers studying international relations at Mills in 1945 and 1946, Moore transferred to San José State University where she majored in journalism and minored in science.

She fondly remembers her time at Mills. "I had always heard about Mills—you know it's there, it's wonderful. Then I won a scholarship and thought, ‘I can do this!'" Moore said. "I thought the greatest thing would be to go to a women's college like Mills."

Her commitment to women's education extends from her grandmother, who fought for women's rights to strengthen women's voices in local issues. Moore nominated her daughters-in-law to the board of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to increase the number of female board members.

Betty Moore also values the green features of the Natural Sciences Building. The new 26,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility received a "platinum" distinction, becoming the first building in Oakland to earn the highest certified rating in environmental design and construction by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). It is the first science building in the country to hold this distinction among members of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

"When you have reached that level everyone knows you're at the top," Moore said.

The Moores are strong advocates of programs to improve nursing practices. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation in 2005 awarded Mills with a five-year grant of almost $475,000 for its Nursing Leadership Program to advance women as future leaders in nursing and to increase the number of nurses entering the profession.

The Mills program partners with Samuel Merritt College for a combined degree. Nursing students study two years of liberal arts at Mills and continue with two years of nursing at Samuel Merritt.

"I feel blessed that we are able to do this. I come from a humble background," said Betty Moore. "Sometimes you just want to give back to society. We want the world to be better for our families and our family's families."

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California, Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering a dynamic progressive education that fosters leadership, social responsibility, and creativity to approximately 900 undergraduate women and 500 graduate women and men. Since 2000, applications to Mills College have more than doubled. The college ranks as one of the top colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report and one of the Best 366 Colleges by the Princeton Review.

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