De La Salle's 50th Birthday Celebration Kicks Off with $250,000 Donation from William H. Gates Foundation

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- De La Salle high school will begin its 50th Birthday Celebration with a generous $250,000 gift from the William H. Gates Foundation. The William H. Gates Foundation has recognized the tremendous success of De La Salle in the past seven years with the gift which will be used to expand technology at the school, including the purchase of additional computer hardware and software.

"This is a great credit to the De La Salle tradition of excellence. This gift acknowledges the exciting things that are happening here, the spirit of the Cavaliers, the enthusiasm of our students and the broad spectrum of educational opportunities available to all our students," said De La Salle President Yvonne Gelpi.

Gina Hall, Vice President of Development and Alumni, expressed appreciation for what the Foundation's donation means as a technological expansion for the school. "All of us at De La Salle are excited about the recognition from the William H. Gates Foundation and improvements that will be made possible by this gift. We will be able to expand and upgrade the computer technology available to our faculty and students."

Hall said that the contact with the Gates Foundation was initiated by Mr. Raymond French, a 1956 graduate of De La Salle, who is the Director of the Space Programs at Lockheed Martin Vought Systems in Dallas, Tex.

De La Salle is a Catholic, co-educational high school for young men and women in grades 8 through 12. It is owned and operated by the Brothers of the Christian Schools. This year marks De La Salle's 50th anniversary.