Kauffman Aquaculture Center

It's been said that a man's home is his castle. For Jack and Ann Kauffman, however, home is also an oyster-breeding facility and an acquaculture center. Or it will be now that ground has officially been broken.

The story behind this unique gift began in 1997 when the Kauffmans made a $20 million bequest to VIMS, which included their home on the Rappahannock River. Concerned about disappearing oysters and other environmental issues, the Kauffmans decided that their home would be a perfect place for VIMS to conduct research.

"We have this beautiful property down here, and we built what we think is a gorgeous home," says Jack Kauffman, a retired corporate executive from Connecticut. "We didn't want to sell it--we wanted to give it to someone who would keep it in perpetuity. Since we believe in what VIMS is doing, we couldn't think of a better way to spend our money."

"Two of our faculty are planning an oyster aquaculture facility and environmental database and monitoring program for the Kauffman campus," says Don Wright. "These projects are unique to VIMS and will play important and unique roles regionally and internationally in the future of aquaculture and in solving problems that effect coastal regions."