About the Kings
Raised in Madison, Wisconsin, Dorothy “Dottie” Jones King came of age as the daughter of a beloved West High School coach for whom the campus’ Willis L. Jones Leadership Center (JLC) is named. She attended UW–Madison, where she studied child development. Robert “Bob” King completed his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College and earned his MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. He began his business career on Wall Street and went on to become a philanthropic entrepreneur. Together, Bob and Dottie raised three children and partnered to launch R. Eliot King & Associates (an investment management company) and Peninsula Capital (a venture capital firm in Menlo Park, CA) as well as Thrive Foundation for Youth and King Philanthropies.
In 2011, the Kings made a transformational gift to Stanford University to establish the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (Stanford Seed), a business school center that trains leaders in developing economies, inspires Stanford students to become globally engaged leaders, and supports critical research that can lead to breakthrough solutions in global poverty alleviation. The Kings also created a scholarship program similar to the UW’s King-Morgridge Scholars Program at Dartmouth College.
Throughout his career, Bob served on multiple boards and invested in innovative ventures. Dottie has held volunteer roles at the Bechtel International House, the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, the Parent Teacher Association, and the Girl Scouts of America. For more than 50 years, Dottie and Bob have hosted international students in their home. They view each aspect of their philanthropic work as both a responsibility and a privilege, continually seeking ways to be worthy stewards of their good fortune.
About the Morgridges
A graduate of the UW–Madison School of Education, Tashia Frankfurth Morgridge ’55 has maintained close ties with the school, serving on its board of visitors and, with her husband, sponsoring scholarships to support Badgers who are preparing to become educators. A retired special education teacher, Tashia retains a generous and compassionate spirit — she continues volunteering to teach students with learning disabilities. John Morgridge ’55, a graduate of the Wisconsin School of Business and Stanford University, has served as president, CEO, and chair of the board of Cisco Systems. He is a true visionary and is credited with building the company into the leading global supplier of computer networking products.
Originally from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Tashia and John were high school sweethearts. After graduating from the UW together, they married and had three children. They established the TOSA Foundation, supported the Morgridge Center for Public Service on the UW campus, contributed to the construction of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, and launched the Morgridge Institute for Research.
Tashia and John are responsible for the largest gifts in UW history, including a total of $125 million for faculty chairs, $100 million to establish the Morgridge Institute for Research, and $32 million to renovate and expand the School of Education building. Their philanthropy has also ranged across the state of Wisconsin. In addition to their contributions to UW–Madison, the Morgridges have donated $188 million to create the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars, an endowment to provide grants each year to low-income students attending one of Wisconsin’s public colleges or universities.