John and Mae Calamos Donate $10 Million to Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, IL — December 5, 2011 —

John P. Calamos, Sr., chairman, chief executive officer and co-chief investment officer of Calamos Investments LLC, and his wife Mae have committed $10 million to Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), part of which will establish two new endowed chairs at the university. The gift is the largest alumni contribution in IIT's comprehensive fundraising campaign, currently in its leadership phase. The gift, made through the John P. Calamos Sr. Foundation, establishes a chair for the dean of the IIT Stuart School of Business, from which Calamos received his B.S. in economics in 1963 and his M.B.A. in finance in 1970. The gift also establishes a philosophy chair in the College of Science and Letters, reflecting Calamos' belief that philosophy is the foundation for critical thinking.

A chair is an endowed faculty position that supports the research, teaching and leadership efforts of a dean or faculty member. Endowed chairs serve the dual purpose of enhancing the learning experience of students while also raising the visibility of the university through the research and scholarship of top faculty. The chairs endowed by John and Mae Calamos will be filled following searches by university selection committees.

"This gift from Mr. and Mrs. Calamos will have a major impact on the future of IIT. It is the kind of gift that has a noticeable, tangible effect on the lives of students and faculty that will continue for generations. We are especially proud that this gift comes from an alumnus," said IIT Vice President of Institutional Advancement Betsy Hughes.

Calamos is the founder of Calamos Investments, a global asset management firm based in Naperville, Illinois. The firm manages more than $34 billion for institutional and individual clients around the world. Founded in 1977, the firm developed an early reputation as a pioneer in investment techniques to control risk, preserve capital and build wealth for clients over the long term. Mr. Calamos credits his success to his education at IIT and his experience as a pilot in the Air Force, which he joined after completing his degrees, serving in the Vietnam War and achieving the rank of Major.

Repeatedly named one of the “Most Trustworthy Companies” by Forbes Magazine, Calamos Investments has also received accolades for the performance of its investment products by Kiplinger, Morningstar, and Lipper. John Calamos won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the financial services sector, Lake Michigan Area in 2006. He is a member of the Investment Analysts Society of Chicago. A frequent speaker at investment seminars and conferences, he is often quoted as an authority on risk-managed strategies in Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, Pensions & Investments, Money and The Wall Street Journal. He is also interviewed regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and Fox Business Channel.

Calamos is active as a philanthropist in the Greek community and is a member of the Board of Directors for the National Hellenic Museum in Chicago. He has been honored for his lifetime contributions by the Hellenic Bar Association.

Calamos is a member of the IIT Board of Trustees and the Board of Overseers for the IIT Stuart School of Business, and has served on the Board of Overseers for the IIT Rice Campus. He was honored by the university with a Professional Achievement Alumni Award in 2006. He and Mae are members of IIT’s Philip Danforth Armour Society, which recognizes philanthropic families who have given transformational gifts of $1 million or more in support of the university’s mission.

Founded in 1890, IIT is a Ph.D.-granting university with more than 7,700 students in engineering, sciences, architecture, psychology, design, humanities, business and law. IIT's interprofessional, technology-focused curriculum is designed to advance knowledge through research and scholarship, to cultivate invention improving the human condition, and to prepare students from throughout the world for a life of professional achievement, service to society, and individual fulfillment. Visit www.iit.edu.