Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice

In 1998, Joan B. Kroc envisioned a center to which people could come to make peace, study peace and work for social justice. Her vision led to the creation of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, a 90,000-square-foot building on the USD campus dedicated in December 2001. In October 2003, USD received from the estate of Joan B. Kroc one of the largest gifts ever given for the study of peace: a $50 million endowment to establish the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. Funds from this endowment will educate and train graduate students in peace and conflict studies, support the addition of professional staff and faculty with recognized expertise in peace studies, and expand the work of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice in peacemaking and peace-building.