Antioch College has announced the receipt of a $50,000 gift from an anonymous donor.

When making the gift, the donor offered best wishes for the new year and the start of the presidency of Mark Roosevelt, who assumed office Saturday, Jan. 1.

The money will go toward a $1.5 million challenge that the college received from another donor earlier in the year.

Originally founded in 1850, Antioch College gained its independence in the fall of 2009. The college, currently recruiting the inaugural class to enter in the fall of 2011, is recruiting a faculty and undergoing a multi-year accreditation process.

Roosevelt, the former superintendent of the Pittsburgh Schools, was appointed president of Antioch College following a unanimous vote of the Board Pro Tempore, the college’s governing body. He succeeds Interim President Matthew Derr as the college’s chief executive.