Students in the Oakland University Honors College will benefit from the generous gift from a couple that have watched the school grow for 30 years.
At the OU board of trustees meeting on Friday, the university accepted a $10 million donation from Walt and Donna Young and the Honors College has been renamed in their honor.
“You watch (the Youngs)and when they are around students they just light up and it is like everything is great in the world,” said Graeme Harper, dean of the Honors College. “They fundamentally want to help students do things. They just have a belief in education. They are fabulous.”
“We looked to give this to a proven organization that has the right values and has proven they can execute and we are looking forward to watching the improvement,” Walt Young said. “This is just like an investment and he (Harper) can get results.”
Walt Young, 81, was appointed to the Oakland University Foundation Board in 1997. It was then that he and his wife, Donna, also 81, made their first gift to OU.
The couple, who live in Bloomfield Hills, established a scholarship in their name to provide financial support to study abroad. It
Almost 300 Honor College students have received scholarships since its creation in 2008.
“We did this to help students build character, primarily empathy,” Walt Young said on why the couple started the scholarship fund. “We feel that people, when they are exposed to different cultures listen better, have a different sensitivity and a better view of other people and they are better performers and leaders in the future.”
Walt Young began his career in the tire industry, working his way up through the business. He served as vice president at BF Goodrich Co., Worldwide Tire Group, and Budd Co. before becoming group president of the Henley Project, chairman and CEO of Redman Industries, Inc., president of Homes America, Inc., and CEO of Champion Industries.
In 2003 he focused on entrepreneurial startups mainly in life sciences, leading and assisting 80 different entities to raise over $100 million in capital.
He has also served on the boards of multiple organizations, including Gleaners Community Food Bank, where he was an advisor, chairman and trustee.
Walter and Donna were awarded honorary doctor of humanities degrees by OU in 2023.
Michelle Bueltel, the Young’s daughter, speaks to the OU board of trustees as they look on.
Photo by Matt Fahr
“They see the Honors College not just as a place of academic distinction, but as a dynamic community,” Young’s daughter, Michelle Bueltel, said in a statement to the board. “One that fosters curiosity, empathy, resilience and a spirit of innovation.”
Walt Young said he has been impressed with OU President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz and the direction the university has taken in the last few years.
“Higher education institutions have lost their focus and mission in the last decade and Oakland (University) has sharpened their focus to provide a broader culture that provides leadership and builds character in their graduates,” he said. “So many other institutions have screwed up, but they have kept their focus.”
Walt Young said he has seen the honors college grow under the leadership of Harper, who came to the university in 2011.
“He has done a phenomenal job of building that honors school from next to nothing to being in the top tier of the nation’s honor schools both in quality and in quantity,” he said. “We were impressed that he has gotten it to that level, but also impressed that he wants to be the best in the county.”
A record 644 freshmen enrolled in the Honors College this year from 267 high schools in 15 states and 12 countries. The average grade point average for the Fall 2025 class is 4.0 and enrollment is up 30% from last year. There are now 2,400 students enrolled in the college.
“For longer than I have been alive, the Young’s have been devoted to improving the lives of OU students and with this gift they give countless students their first opportunity to make tangible, positive impacts in our community,” said Honors College student Mathew Seidel. “We will be honored to be part of your legacy.”
“Donna and Walt Young are the epitome of OU’s most passionate advocates and supporters. They are humble in their service to our students and through the impact they make in the community around them,” said Pescovitz. “I am honored that we can steward their legacy, one that values worldly experiences, provides the tools for students to become active partners in building a vibrant community and encourages exploration and interdisciplinary thought.”
Young said he did not give Harper or the university and specific requests on how the donation should be spent.
“I trust Graeme will use it in the best interest of the college. This is not just about keeping the (study abroad) scholarship fund going,” Young said. “Graeme’s goal is to make (OU) the number one honors school in the country and from what I have seen, he will do that someday.”
OU has not had a named college/school since being founded in 1957.
Originally Published: October 17, 2025 at 5:55 PM EDT