$1 million gift to enhance design education at Lawrence Tech

SOUTHFIELD—Lawrence Technological University’s College of Architecture and Design is the recipient of a new $1 million donation. 

“We are very grateful for this generous gift,” LTU President Tarek Sobh said. “These resources will support an annual scholarship for the next generation of visionary designers, enhance innovative teaching practices within the College of Architecture and Design, and ensure ongoing restoration of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Affleck House,” which was donated to LTU in 1978. 

The gift from donors John and Michele Donley is split into three endowments:  

The first is a merit-based scholarship for full-time students either admitted to or already enrolled in LTU’s Master of Architecture program. The Donley Endowed Graduate Scholarship provides $11,500 in tuition reimbursement and up to $2,000 for expenses such as conferences or tools that augment their studies.  

The second is the Donley “Affleck Fellow” fund, which aims to enrich CoAD with fresh perspectives from early career professionals who have the right mix of skills, experiences and academics in architecture and design. Potential fellows for the paid, one-year appointment should have an interest in research and teaching.  

The third is the Donley Affleck House Maintenance Fund, which will provide financial support for the ongoing maintenance, operation and renewal of the Affleck House. The house, designed by Wright in 1940 and listed on both the Michigan and National Register of Historic Places, is used as a key teaching tool for students in LTU’s architecture and design programs. 

Even though alumni-led efforts to maintain the home over the years have been successful, “stewarding the 85-year-old home hasn’t always been easy,” said CoAD dean Karl Daubmann. Myriad resources are needed to keep the house in mint condition. 

“When John told me that he and Michelle wanted to reduce the anxiety for maintaining the house and transform it into a true asset through their donation, I had an immediate and emotional response, a weight lifted off the shoulders of the college,” Daubmann said. “The gift allows us to intensify the connection of education, architecture and design to the broader architectural community familiar with the Affleck House and the Usonian tradition, a style of affordable, single-story homes created by Wright.” 

Added Sobh: “We are grateful to our alumni, faculty, volunteers, and partners for championing the care and preservation of this architectural treasure.” 

John Donley, a current LTU board member, was first connected to LTU through his father, Edward Donley, a 1943 engineering alumnus who became CEO of Air Products and Chemicals and chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1986-87. 

Edward Donley, who passed away in 2017, never forgot the life-changing 1939 scholarship from LTU that helped him surpass his humble beginnings on a Michigan farm: he and his late wife Inez used their generosity to provide deserving students an LTU education through the Edward Donley Scholars Program. 

“My dad was an ebullient optimist; he would always say that the future is bright, and the key thing is to build for the future,” said John, a retired trial attorney. “He felt lucky to be able to offer today’s students the same helping hand LTU extended to him, and Michele and I feel very lucky we can help carry the tradition forward.” 

In addition to these gifts, John and Michele Donley will match donations to any of the three endowments up to $500,000. 

“The Donleys’ generous offer to match additional gifts will inspire additional donors, and amplify the impact of their gifts,” said Kevin Finn, LTU’s vice president of philanthropy and alumni engagement. “We look forward to featuring these endowments on LTU’s Giving Day on April 8, 2025.” 

CONTACT: Kevin Finn, kfinn@ltu.edu or (248) 802-0122 

Lawrence Technological University is one of only 13 independent, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU as part of its growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11% of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10%. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best Midwest colleges. Princeton Review lists LTU in the nation’s top 15%. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.