Retired Raymond James exec gives college $5M

ST. PETERSBURG — Former Raymond James CFO Lynn Pippenger has given $5 million to name the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's Kate Tiedemann College of Business building.

As a result of the gift, the second largest single gift in the school's history, the building is named Lynn Pippenger Hall, a statement says. The four-story building is on track to open this fall.

The money will fund merit scholarships for full- and part-time undergraduate students who are studying accounting or finance in the College of Business, the statement says.

“I spent a lot of time at USFSP over a period of years while I was working full time,” Pippenger says in the statement. “Scholarships can ease the financial struggle for some students, or provide the funding needed for students to travel abroad or participate in civic learning. In this way, they learn to give back themselves, usually in time or talent.”

This donation doesn't mark the first time Pippenger has donated to or had a building named for her at her alma mater. She has donated more than $21 million to the Muma College of Business at USF's main campus, the statement says, and in February 2015, USF announced that its School of Accountancy in Tampa would be named for her.

“Lynn Pippenger is a true USF success story, having attended both USF Tampa and USF St. Petersburg,” says Judy Genshaft, USF system president, in the statement. “This new gift will enhance the academic opportunities provided to students and faculty for generations to come - on both sides of the Bay. Her generosity is truly inspiring.”