Professor Emeritus Henry Janssen pledged a $1 million donation to San Diego State’s Honors College.

On April 25, Janssen announced he would donate a portion of his estate to the institution where he dedicated 60 years of his life. The contribution is part of the Campaign for SDSU, a movement to raise $500 million to ensure SDSU’s role as a leading public research university.

According to the Campaign for SDSU website, the funds raised will be divided to support the campaign’s four initiatives: engaging the region, leading innovation and discovery, competing globally and fueling potential. The campaign has raised $385 million as of March.

“The Campaign for (SDSU)” has the power to transform our university by increasing access and educational opportunities, strengthening our ties with the San Diego community and supporting our life-changing research,” SDSU President Elliot Hirshman said in a message to the public on the campaign’s website.

During a time when most universities are limiting enrollment and cutting class variety and size, Janssen’s donation will aid the Honors College by increasing enrollment and offering courses that will benefit the university as a whole.

“I owe SDSU more for the life I’ve had than I can ever repay,” Janssen told SDSU NewsCenter.

Janssen has been a longtime supporter of SDSU’s Honors College as an adviser on the Honor’s Council, which is comprised of student representatives from each of SDSU’s multidisciplinary honor societies.

Janssen’s donation will provide more scholarships for honor students, increase the availability of student positions on the honors advisory council and create support for honors program faculty members.

“One of the things of which I am most proud is my ability to bring together past and present students,” Janssen said. “It is an astonishing network of relationships that is not Henry-dependent … and they will continue to stay connected … to each other as friends, but also to the SDSU bond that ties them together in my absence.”