$15M donor to Indiana University steps forward

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — An investment firm executive is going public with a $15 million donation he made to Indiana University two years ago in hopes of spurring more contributions toward a business school expansion.

The new undergraduate business school building at IU’s Bloomington campus will be named for James Hodge. He tells The Herald-Times that he wanted his donation to remain anonymous because he didn’t want the attention during the recession.

But he tells the Indianapolis Business Journal that at age 59 he’s decided to help boost the project while he can.

Hodge is an IU graduate who grew up in Marion and is president of New York-based Permal Asset Management.

Construction is to start next year on the $30 million building, with $30 million more in business school renovations planned later.