Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering's namesake and family commit $30 million to scholarships

AUBURN, Ala., July 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The namesake of Auburn University's Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the Ginn Family Foundation has committed $30 million to the college to establish a new scholarship program, marking the largest single commitment to scholarships in Auburn University history.

The new Ginn Scholarship Program is designed to provide up to 40 scholarship awards annually, covering tuition, fees, room and board for up to five years.

To qualify for this merit-based scholarship, Ginn Scholars must demonstrate need, graduate from a Title I high school in the state of Alabama and be admitted into the College of Engineering. Candidates must also have exercised leadership skills in school community activities and have values that align with those espoused in the Auburn Creed.

"When I was accepted into Auburn, the affordability issue was front and center, but a college education was important to my parents. Once at Auburn, I participated in ROTC, waited tables and worked in a clothing store just to get by. But I was never ashamed of that. In fact, it instilled that 'hard work' mentality that is grounded in the Auburn Creed," Ginn said. "My hope is that this program will lessen the financial burden of a higher education and help families in our state. There are so many students with strong family value systems, and they deserve an opportunity to focus on their studies instead of focusing on their financial situation."

The program is designed to provide financial and transitional assistance to incoming freshmen, along with the student support services needed to navigate the demanding curriculum. Ginn Scholars will be provided dedicated space to study, collaborate and grow academically and personally. They will also attend lectures on personal finance and other subjects designed to support future success. These efforts are intended to help build a bond among the Ginn Scholars and develop personal relationships that last a lifetime.

Members of the Ginn Scholars Program will complete a first-year seminar to learn about the student support services and resources available to them. This seminar will allow scholars to meet and connect early in their academic journeys.

In 2001, Ginn's commitment of $25 million to the college was the single-largest gift to a higher education institution earmarked for academics in the state's history. As a result, the college was renamed as the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering in his honor. This gift also served as the impetus behind the establishment of a wireless engineering program, the first of its kind in the nation.

"Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Ginn made an investment in Auburn Engineering that has propelled us to levels of achievement and excellence that previously we could only have dreamed of," said Mario Eden, dean of engineering. "This new investment in the Ginn Scholars Program will provide access to hundreds of students from the state, further cementing our mission as a land-grant institution. The Ginn Scholars Program will continue our objective to be one of the top engineering colleges in the nation."

A native of Anniston, Ginn is a 1959 graduate of Auburn's College of Engineering with a degree in industrial engineering. Following his service with the Army Signal Corps, he built a 31-year career with AT&T and its affiliates. He chose to leave his position as CEO of Pacific Telesis, an AT&T affiliate with 90,000 employees, and assume the role of CEO of a spin-off focused on the company's wireless assets, including 300 employees. By assembling a workforce comprised of those willing to make a career change and new hires to the industry, Ginn helped build what became the largest cellular company in the world — AirTouch — with operations across the United States, Europe, Asia and Eastern Europe. In 1999, the company was sold for $65 billion to Vodafone. Many of the original 300 employees, including those in entry-level positions such as mail delivery, became millionaires at the time of the sale.

After the sale of AirTouch, Ginn was involved at the senior level of several start-ups, including being one of the early founders of Ondot Systems, a company formed to prevent credit card fraud. After five years, it was acquired by Fiserv Inc., with a seven-time return to its investors.

Ginn has served on 11 corporate boards, including Chevron, Safeway, Hewlett-Packard, Pacific Telesis, AirTouch and Vodafone. He has also served as chairman of the California Business-Higher Education Forum, the California Business Roundtable and the Committee on Jobs and the Economy. He is an overseer at the Hoover Institute in Palo Alto, as well as a Sloan Fellow at Stanford University's School of Business. He also served on Auburn University's Board of Trustees from 2005-13.

For his professional achievements, Ginn was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science from Auburn University in 1998. He is also a member of the Wireless Hall of Fame, the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame and the Alabama Business Hall of Fame.

"My Auburn Engineering experience was transformational for my life," Ginn said. "My wife, Ann, our children and I are proud to celebrate our commitment from 25 years ago with this new gift. Auburn has given so much to us, and we are proud to play a role in laying the foundation for the future."

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SOURCE Auburn University-College of Engineering