Endowment Fund Tops 300 Million

Investments in the University's 300-year-old endowment fund reached a new maximum, $309,000,000, last June 30. A statement released by the Putnam Management Company, manager of the George Putnam Fund of Boston, showed an increase of $35,000,000 over the preceding year.

Of the increase, gifts amounting to $6,600,000 poured into the University Endowment Fund. The remaining amount was mainly due to capital appreciation. According to the report, the market value of the University's investments on June 30 was approximately 25 per cent above their original costs. At the same time last year the value was 25 percent above historical cost compared to only 16 percent in 1950.

The rate of return of the investments was 5.08 percent in 1952. This is the highest return in the last 20 years.

Almost 49 percent of the University's portfolio is presently composed of common stock holdings. This is also the highest percentage in the University's history.