Alumnus gives Michigan Tech University $10 million

October 02, 2008 9:05 PM

HOUGHTON, Mich. (AP) - A business executive who graduated from Michigan Tech University is giving $10 million to his alma mater.

Dave House's gift will be the largest the university in Houghton has ever received. It was announced Thursday during the university's board of control meeting.

House earned a degree in electrical engineering from Michigan Tech. He is the retired president of Nortel Networks, the former CEO of Bay Networks and a longtime Intel executive. He presently is chairman of Brocade Communication System of San Jose, Calif.

He's also volunteer chairman of the university's national fundraising campaign, which is designed to help Michigan Tech attract and retain top graduate and research faculty.

The House Family Foundation already has endowed two professorships and bankrolled the purchase of the Michigan Tech Research Institute in 2006.