Bestselling author and philanthropist James Patterson will donate $10 million to help launch the Patterson Institute for Early Adolescent Literacy at the Vanderbilt University Peabody College of Education and Human Development.

James Patterson

James Patterson

Patterson’s gift will bolster Vanderbilt’s Dare to Grow campaign, which surpassed its initial monetary goal in November 2024 and has already exceeded $3.8 billion. Support for the Dare to Grow campaign will fund the Institute of National Security, Vandy United, campuses in New York City and West Palm Beach, Fla., and programs such as Opportunity Vanderbilt and Residential Colleges.