UA College of Engineering receives major financial gift

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - A major financial donation was made to the University of Alabama (UA) College of Engineering.

Catherine Styslinger donated $25 million to what is now known as the Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering. The gift was in honor and memory of Styslinger’s husband Lee J. Styslinger Jr.

Lee J. Styslinger pursued a degree in mechanical engineering at UA, but left to take over his father’s trucking equipment company in Birmingham. The company is now known as Altec.

Styslinger died in 2021 at the age of 88.

“He was not a braggadocios type person, but I am certain he would certainly appreciate the fact that I honored it because it is quite an honor, and he loved this school and I think he would be very pleased to know I did this,” said Catherine Styslinger.

Dr. Clifford Henderson, the dean of UA’s College of Engineering remarked on the donation.

“So, this is a fully discretionary gift, and so each year this will produce funds that we’ll use to take advantage of opportunities in both educational missions, our research missions and really also our service missions out in the community,” said Henderson.

The Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineer has more than 5500 students across seven departments.

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