St. Louis, MO (KTRS) On the very first day of Saint Louis University’s third century, SLU has announced that it is embarking on the largest and most ambitious fundraising campaign in its 200-year history.

The Campaign for Saint Louis University called “Accelerating Excellence” is seeking to propel SLU to national prominence as a world-class research university. The funds would be used for athletics and student scholarships, plus academic excellence in the areas of health science and business. The school intends to raise the funds through donations and has already raised over $300-million-dollars. Dr. Richard Chaifetz and Rex Sinquefield are the campaign’s co-chairs, and are among SLU’s most generous donors. Between them, they have given more than $80-million-dollars.