Celebrating 25 Years of Cambridge in America
2000: The first board meeting of Cambridge in America takes place on December 1, 2000, in New York City.
2000: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donates $210 million to establish the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, marking one of the largest single donations to the University.
2001: Gurnee Hart assumed the role of the first Chair of the Cambridge in America Board, serving from 2001 to 2004. He remained an active member of the Board until 2023 and sadly passed away in 2026.
2002: John Hanselman assumes the role of the first Executive Director at Cambridge in America, serving from 2002 to 2013.
2002: The Corfield Wing, a new extension to the Institute of Astronomy supported by CAm Board member Charles "Nick" Corfield, is formally opened by the Chancellor of the University, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.
2004: William Janeway (Pembroke 1965) assumes the role of Chair of the Cambridge in America Board, serving from 2004 to 2014 and remains an active Board member today.
2009: The Empire State Building is lit in Cambridge Blue during the 800th Campaign Gala, held at Gotham Hall in New York City.
2009: Actor and writer Stephen Fry (Queens’ College 1978) gives a captivating speech at the Gala, reflecting on the University’s rich history, commitment to excellence, and rivalry with Oxford.
2011: The Cambridge 800th Anniversary Campaign concludes by raising over £1B to support various University initiatives.
2013: Peter Little assumes the role of the Executive Director at Cambridge in America, serving from 2013 to 2014.
2013: Ray Dolby (Pembroke 1957) leaves a bequest totaling $300M to benefit the Cavendish Laboratory and his College, Pembroke.
2013: The Avery-Tsui Foundation establishes the Stephen W. Hawking Professorship in Cosmology with a gift of $6M.
2014: Dr. Alan Smith (Christ's 1964) assumes the role of Chair of the Cambridge in America Board, serving from 2014 to 2020.
2014: Yun Won Cho assumes the role of Executive Director at Cambridge in America, serving from 2014 until her untimely death in 2019.
2015: William B Janeway (Pembroke College 1965) & Weslie R Janeway donate $27M to Cambridge’s Faculty of Economics and Pembroke College.
2015: Mohamed El-Erian, PhD (Queens’ College 1977) donates $25M for the The El-Erian Institute for Human Behavior and Economic Policy.
2015: Pembroke College receives £35M from the Dolby Family Trust, as part of the bequest.
2015: Cambridge in America relocates to its current home in the Hippodrome building in New York City.
2019: Mid-campaign celebrations for "Dear World... Yours, Cambridge" are held at the New York Public Library and the San Francisco City Hall.
2019: Gabrielle Bennett (Fellow Commoner, Downing) assumes the role of Executive Director at Cambridge in America, serving from 2019 to the present day.
2020: Peter Dawson (St Catharine's 1974) assumes the role of Chair of the Cambridge in America Board, serving from 2020 to the present day.
2020: Cambridge in America marks 20 years during the COVID-19 pandemic. CAm Founder Marc Feigen (St John's) and David Baker (Gonville & Caius) author "A Century of Friendship: A History of Cambridge Philanthropy in America."
2020: Schmidt Futures, founded by Google’s Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy Schmidt, support the Accelerate Program for Scientific Discovery with an 8-figure gift.
2021: Christina and Peter Dawson (St Catharine's 1974) make a 7-figure gift to the University to fund the Foundation Year program.
2021: The Janeway Institute for Economics, which is primarily funded by William B Janeway (Pembroke College 1965) & Weslie R Janeway, launches in Cambridge.
2022: The "Dear World... Yours, Cambridge" Campaign concludes by raising over £2.2B to support various University and Colleges initiatives. Donors to Cambridge in America contribute more than $514M to this campaign.
2023: A partnership between the Cambridge University Library and the New York Public Library brings Charles Darwin: A Life in Letters to the Stephen A. Schwartzman Building.
2024: The Student Support Initiative concludes, raising £500M to enhance financial aid and support services for students.
2024: CAm hosts Board member Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Lord Simon Woolley and Professor Peter Galison for a conversation around history, identity, race, and the role of education in tackling complex issues.
2025: Christina and Peter Dawson (St Catharine's 1974) make a gift to establish a Professorship of Young People’s Mental Health.
2025: The Dolby Quarter at Pembroke College, funded by the Dolby Family Trust, is completed.
2025: The Ray Dolby Centre, the state-of-the-art new home of the Cavendish Laboratory funded by the Dolby bequest through the Dolby Family Trust, opens with Dagmar Dolby in attendance.
2025: Cambridge in America marks 25 years and $1B in CAm contributions to the University.
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