As part of an ongoing series of grants, AT&T has announced that it will donate some $1.5 million in equipment and services to Bradley University of Peoria, Illinois. The donation will be used to build a computer laboratory, primarily for use by the College of Business. Earlier grants provided for equipping a 200-room residence hall with AT&T personal computers. The personal computers were tied into the campus' communications network so that students could register, access the library's patron access catalog, and send electronic mail from their rooms. The network which makes the interconnectivity possible was purchased from AT&T by Bradley at a cost of more than $3 million. It includes a System 85 integrated with AT&T's Information Systems Network.
AT&T has also made a $616,000 grant to the University of Pittsburgh's School of Library and Information Science in support of the school's Telecommunications Program. The gift, the second of two similar size grants, includes computers, networking hardware and software, and research funds.
AT&T has made similar grants to several other academic institutions. Apple, Digital, and IBM have similar programs. While grants have been made to institutions which have not themselves made major automation purchases, it is generally acknowledged that an existing working relationship is important for bringing an institution's needs to the attention of a prospective corporate donor.
