College gets $25-million gift

Harvey Mudd College, the science- and engineering-focused school in Claremont, has received a $25-million donation, the largest in its 53-year history, officials announced Monday. The donors are R. Michael Shanahan, a Harvey Mudd trustee and mutual funds executive, and his wife, Mary.

The 738-student college recently received the first $12.5 million of the Shanahan pledge, and the rest will be paid over the next five years. The donation will not be restricted to any single campus cause. The Shanahans previously gave about $10 million to Harvey Mudd for such uses as scholarship funds and a new dining hall.

R. Michael Shanahan, a Stanford University alumnus, holds leadership positions in the Capital Group Companies and the Investment Company of America.

He said he and his wife want to support Harvey Mudd’s work “in creating new knowledge that meets the changing needs of our society.”