OHSU's Anonymous $100 Million Donor is One Tough Mother

On July 28, Oregon Health & Science University announced a $100 million contribution from an anonymous donor. 

WW has learned that anonymous donor is Gert Boyle, the chairwoman of Columbia Sportswear whose role in the "one tough mother" advertising campaign brought the company widespread attention.

Boyle, 90, owns Columbia stock worth more than $400 million, according to the company's most recent annual report.

Her money is the largest individual donation yet to OHSU's campaign to raise $500 million to match a challenge grant issued by Nike Chairman Phil Knight and his wife Penny. Knight wants Dr. Brian Druker, the director OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute to have $1 billion with which to pursue cancer cures.

In June, Gert Boyle's son, Columbia CEO Tim Boyle, and his wife Mary gave $10 million toward the Knight challenge. When OHSU announced that gift, the university noted that Gert Boyle's sister, the late Hildegard Lamfrom, had been a world-renowned molecular biologist. A researcher and professor, Lamfrom taught OHSU's  Druker when Druker was an undergraduate at Reed College.

Gert Boyle was not immediately available for comment. Tim Boyle declined to comment.

WWeek 2015