Coca Cola Gives #500,000

THE COCA-COLA FOUNDATION HELPS MAKE
A 'CRITICAL DIFFERENCE FOR WOMEN' AT OHIO STATE
Gift funds scholarships for non-traditional students

     COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Coca-Cola Foundation announced today
(5/21) the award of $500,000 to The Ohio State University to
support a critical program that assists the re-entry of female
non-traditional students into higher education.

     Ohio State's Critical Difference for Women program assists
women who wish to resume college educations that were interrupted
to meet other responsibilities.  It helps older female students
and scholars fulfill their personal and professional dreams by
meeting a full range of needs, including re-entry scholarships
for graduate and undergraduate students, professional development
grants and research grants.

     The activities supported by the program are as diverse as
the goals and aspirations of the women who directly benefit.  The
students come from many backgrounds and have taken many paths.
Most have overcome major obstacles.

     Scholarship recipients include Valerie Gerhold, 42, a single
parent of four, who decided to return to school to earn a
bachelor's degree after a 17-year absence.  Merry Carol Hapi-
Cummons, 40, is an American Indian who wants to educate people
about environmental issues.  Graciela Rennella, a political
refugee from Argentina, overcame major language barriers to earn
a college degree; she is working toward a master's in
instructional design and technology.  The remaining scholarship
winners have faced similar challenges. They are now returning to
school with the help of gifts such as the Coca-Cola grant.

     In announcing the gift, Ohio State University President E.
Gordon Gee said: "The Critical Difference for Women program was
created to support the specific needs of women who seek to
realize their dreams through higher education.  Re-entry
scholarships and fellowships are essential to this goal.  Through
this gift, Coca-Cola will enrich and empower the lives of many
women who might otherwise have been unable to continue their
education."

     Ingrid Saunders Jones, vice president, Corporate External
Affairs, The Coca-Cola Company, and chair of The Coca-Cola
Foundation, described Critical Difference as a creative and
needed program that mirrors the company's own commitment to full
personal and professional development of women.

     "It is an honor for the Coca-Cola system to support such a
proactive program at one of the nation's leading universities,"
Jones said.  "Critical Difference for Women offers a way for
women to continue their search for understanding and their
pursuit of knowledge.  It also offers The Coca-Cola Company,
Coca-Cola Enterprises, and our many associates a meaningful way
to express our commitment to help serve public higher education
in Ohio."

     Of the Coca-Cola grant, 75 percent will be used for
scholarships and 25 percent will be used for faculty research on
women's issues, including health and employment.  Scholarships
will be awarded to eligible women based on qualifications and
need, with a preference for minority applicants.

     The gift was given to the university to honor Dr. Elizabeth
D. Gee, President Gee's late wife who died in 1992.  She was
instrumental in helping to establish the Critical Difference
program.

     Jones said the Coca-Cola Company and Foundation will
continue to seek additional areas of cooperation with The Ohio
State University that can benefit women at the company, at the
university, and elsewhere.

     One such program is the National Council of Ohio State Women
The organization was established in 1992 to connect Ohio State
women with each other both personally and professionally; enable
them to share experiences, talents, and resources; re-connect
them to the university in leadership roles, and allow them to
serve as role models, mentors, and fund raisers.  Ohio State
graduates working at The Coca-Cola Company will be encouraged to
participate in National Council of Ohio State Women activities.

     The Coca-Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Coca-
Cola Company, has made a $50 million, decade-long commitment to
advance excellence in education in the 1990s.  The foundation
supports programs for early childhood education; elementary and
secondary schools; public and private colleges and universities;
teacher training; arts education and international understanding.

                                #

Contact:  Peg Hendricks, The Ohio State University, (614)292-3300
          Kerry Traubert, The Coca-Cola Company, (404) 676-7900


[Submitted by: GERSTNER  (gerstner@ccgate.ucomm.ohio-state.edu)
               
Mon, 23 May 1994 11:35:32 -0500 (EST)]
All documents are the responsibility of their originator.