Thousands are expected Thursday to pay tribute to former Micron Technology C-E-O Steve Appleton. Appleton died in a plane crash earlier this month. Thursday Idaho’s governor, Micron executives and others will speak at a public memorial at Boise State University. They’ll talk about Appleton as a businessman, an athlete, and as a philanthropist. In fact, you don’t have to go far on Boise State’s campus to see Appleton’s contributions.
Two Boise State tennis players hit the ball around after a workout at the Appleton Tennis Center. Steve Appleton went to Boise State on a tennis scholarship in the 80s. In 2001 he gave the University two million dollars to build this tennis complex. Appleton kept most of his other personal charitable contributions quiet but his work through the Micron Foundation is much more public.
Dee Mooney “Steve and the other executives at Micron felt it very important to give back to the areas where our employees live and work.”
Dee Mooney is executive director of the Micron Foundation. She says Micron donated money before the foundation was created in 1999, but it could fluctuate a lot as corporate profits see-sawed. Appleton and the rest wanted to create something more stable. Appleton was the first Director and Chairman of the foundation, a position he held until 2007. Mooney says he was very involved.
Dee Mooney “ We met prior to each board meeting and he knew exactly what gifts we would be talking about, he would ask me questions and he was very involved in going through and making those decisions.”
In 2010 the Micron foundation owned assets worth 90 million dollars and gave away or agreed to give more than 14 million. The largest recipient over the past decade, by far, is Boise State University. University President Bob Kustra says there are few CEO’s who are as hands on as Appleton was in terms of giving.
Bob Kustra “He put money up through Micron for the masters in materials science engineering. And after he saw that that produced one of the most respected materials science programs in the country he came back to me, and suggested, would you want to build a PHD on top of this.”
The Foundation gave BSU 13 million dollars just last year to create that PHD program. Other large gifts include 12 and half million dollars for the new business building, 5 million for a PHD program in electrical and computer engineering and the list goes on. Appleton even co-chaired the University’s multi-year fundraising campaign that raised 185 million dollars. But Appleton was not so hands on with all the foundation’s work. Take the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Micron is the festival’s second largest benefactor. But managing director Mark Hofflund says Steve Appleton was not closely involved.
Mark Hofflund “Well a man only has so much time. (Laughter)”
Hofflund says the arts may not have been one of Appleton’s passions but they are for other foundation members.
Mark Hofflund “And he gave them the opportunities that maybe he didn’t have the time or necessarily the interest to focus on himself.”
It’s not that Appleton didn’t give to the festival. In 1999 he donated a popular item that was auctioned to help pay for a new theater.
Mark Hofflund “Steve gave us a ride, two rides on his plane.”
Though the Micron Foundation does give to arts organizations like the Shakespeare Festival and Ballet Idaho, and community organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA, its main focus is on education, specifically in science, technology, engineering and math. Dee Mooney says it will stay that way.
Dee Mooney “There won’t be any changes in terms of how we approach philanthropy today. And we will continue to honor Steve’s original wishes.”
Some of the foundation’s largest grants go to universities around the country and the world. Next comes public schools, mostly in Idaho. It also gives individual scholarships. But since his days on the tennis team, Boise State always came first in Steve Appleton’s heart… and Mooney says the University will continue to come first for the foundation.