The gift from Jane Creamer Sullivan, KLN ’70, is the latest example of her continued commitment to her alma mater. The Sullivan Honors College will officially begin operations and welcome its first students for the fall 2027 semester. It will offer an Honors educational experience that is uniquely Temple. 

A historic gift from Jane Creamer Sullivan, KLN ’70, will lead to the creation of the Jane Creamer Sullivan and Thomas J. Sullivan Honors College at Temple University. Both the gift and the establishment of the new honors college were approved by the university’s Board of Trustees in its meeting on April 15. 

A team of faculty and staff from across the university will lead a phased implementation plan for the Sullivan Honors College, which will officially launch and welcome its first students in fall 2027. Building on the strength of Temple’s existing Honors Program, the new college will expand the resources and opportunities available to highly motivated students. 

“Thanks to the incredible generosity of Jane Sullivan, we now have the opportunity to accomplish something truly special,” said Temple President John Fry. “The Sullivan Honors College will position Temple as a national leader in Honors education, defined by qualities that are distinctly Temple.”  

The creation of the Sullivan Honors College comes at a time of great momentum for Temple’s Honors Program. In recent years, Temple Honors students have garnered prestigious Fulbright, Goldwater and Truman scholarships.  

Temple has produced six Goldwater Scholars over the past two years—three each year—marking the strongest stretch in its history and tying for the second-most of any Pennsylvania institution over that span. The university’s only Rhodes Scholar, Hazim Hardeman, KLN ’17, also came from the Honors Program. 

“Elevating Temple's outstanding Honors Program to a formal Honors College is the logical next step in enhancing the student experience and further elevating Temple's academic profile. The establishment of the Sullivan Honors College is an inspiring illustration of how our strategic plan, Forward with Purpose, is paving the way for us to become one of the most consequential urban research universities in the nation,” Fry added. “We are deeply grateful to Jane, both for this transformational gift and for her continued support of our university.” 

Sullivan’s historic gift—one of the largest in Temple’s history—continues her long-standing support of her alma mater. She is currently the co-chair of the Klein College of Media and Communication’s Board of Visitors and has been one of the top sponsorship donors to that school’s annual Lew Klein Alumni in the Media Awards event. She has given annually to funds that support student research, travel and opportunities to present their work at conferences and other related events. Sullivan is a founding member of President Fry’s Leadership Council and Real Estate Advisory Council.  

“I believe the Honors College will raise Temple’s standing nationally and will offer high-potential students a new reason to come here,” said Jane Sullivan. “I hope other donors will join me in making the Honors College all it can be.” 

The creation of the Sullivan Honors College will elevate and reimagine the existing honors program. This effort is expected to bolster recruitment of the most qualified students, many of whom look to the scope of honors-specific experiences in making enrollment decisions. 

“What makes the establishment of the Sullivan Honors College so exciting is that it is going to offer a student experience that is distinctly Temple,” said David Boardman, interim provost of Temple and dean of the Klein College. “It is going to be an experience that capitalizes on our location in this vibrant city and our deeply rooted public mission. This new college will make Temple a destination for these high-performing high school students.” 

“I echo President Fry in expressing my gratitude to Jane. At Klein, we have reaped the benefits of her generosity for years, but it is terrific to see her create a legacy at this university that is going to positively impact both our community and students for generations to come,” Boardman added. 

A Temple Made honors education 

Currently, Temple’s Honors Program enrolls approximately 2,100 undergraduate students. The establishment of the Sullivan Honors College will dramatically expand opportunities for top students.  

While there are several prominent, successful honors colleges across the country, the Sullivan Honors College will embrace an approach that is shaped by Temple’s strengths, values and character. Specifically, it will be defined by the following three distinguishing ideals and values: 

• Access Reimagined: The Sullivan Honors College will utilize a flexible, access-driven model that redefines Honors recruitment and admissions. Unlike other universities, it will identify and recruit talented and motivated students with high potential, not just high SAT scores, and offer multiple entry points, from first-year admits to transfers to current Temple students. 
• A Flexible, Place-Based Curriculum: The college will leverage Philadelphia and Temple's global campuses in Tokyo, Kyoto and Rome as its classrooms. Students will explore global issues through local lenses in seminar-style courses, research, service learning and mentorship from local experts and alumni. Anchored by a community-based seminar and a self-directed senior project, students will shape their own paths to become well-rounded creators of knowledge, prepared to tackle complex challenges and drive change. 
• Collaboration over Competition: Collaboration will be the core ethos of the Sullivan Honors College, leading to a culture where students and faculty work side by side across disciplines. Physical and intellectual spaces (housing, classrooms, hangouts, holistic advising) will be intentionally designed to foster connection. 

Additionally, all Temple Honors students will receive a Discovery Grant, which will provide them with at least one high-impact experience—research, internship, civic engagement or study abroad. 

Students will also experience the City of Philadelphia as an honors classroom, with the program offering credit-bearing, place-based courses and projects rooted in the city’s neighborhoods and institutions. All students will also be able to design their own honors major, minor or concentration. 

A lasting legacy 

For Sullivan, the establishment of the Sullivan Honors College is the latest installment of a legacy at Temple that was established nearly a century ago. 

Her father, Robert H. Creamer, was a founder of Temple's College of Engineering, and he worked there from the late 1940s until his retirement in the early 1980s. While he started as an instructor at the Technical Institute, he later served as the associate dean of the College of Engineering, where he also had several stints as acting dean. In 2010, the College of Engineering placed a plaque in its building to honor Robert and the college’s seven other founders. 

Sullivan’s late husband, Thomas J. Sullivan, was also Temple Made. He graduated from the College of Engineering and holds two patents. After serving in the U.S. Navy Seabees in Vietnam, he started Sullivan Construction Company, which oversaw the renovation of the Klein College’s Annenberg Hall in the mid-1990s. Jane Sullivan started  in 1995 to provide construction management and consulting services. Tom Sullivan passed away in 2024. 

“Tom and I had long planned to include Temple in our wills, to provide scholarships for bright, promising students,” said Jane Sullivan. “When David (Boardman) brought to me the idea of creating an Honors College, and the excitement of seeing that happen during my lifetime, it was a natural fit. I am absolutely delighted to do this for the university I love.”