Berry surpasses $10 million in donations to NMU

What's happening: Northern Michigan University has a new all-time financial donor: John Berry, Jr. and his wife Shirley have now given more than $10 million to the Marquette-based institution of higher education. Their recent $3.5 million gift includes $2 million to permanently endow the College of Business Deanship in their names and $1 million in expendable funds to support the Northern Enterprise Center, the planned home of NMU’s College of Business. Berry is also the namesake of the university’s NCAA Division 1 hockey facility, where the couple have donated more than half a million dollars to help support Wildcat athletics. 

Who is Berry: As a student at NMU, Berry was an active member and officer of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, served on the interfraternity council and senior class cabinet, and participated in intramural sports. He went on to lead one of the largest Yellow Pages advertising agencies in the United States with the help of the accounting degree he earned in 1971. He received NMU’s Distinguished Alumni Award and was honored in 2022 with an honorary Doctor of Business degree in recognition of his leadership in business and philanthropy. 

What they're saying: “I was a young kid, still wet behind the ears, when I arrived on campus. But Northern provided a great foundation that helped me grow and mature, along with valuable preparation for life’s many challenges,” Berry said. “It also gave me the tools I needed to be successful. I’ve made some money along the way, and feel fortunate to be in a position to share that. As you get older, you want to support those things that had the most meaning in your life. Northern is one of those places for me. I am always happy to give back so that others can enjoy the many positive benefits of a Northern education.”

What's next: The couple were named co-chairs of NMU’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, in the hopes of sharing their success with others for the benefit of the university. The couple also continues to support the John and Shirley Berry Scholarship, which provides $20,000 over four years to high-achieving incoming freshmen enrolled in the NMU Honors Program.