Accompanied by exploding streamers and fireworks, Iowa State President Martin Jischke announced an $80 million donation to the College of Agriculture Thursday, putting an end to weeks of speculation.

The anonymous gift, announced in a ceremony on central campus, is the largest ever given to a college or university in the state of Iowa.

It also is the fourth largest given to a public land-grant university, the eighth largest to any public university and the 26th largest to any institution of higher education.

“This is a record-breaking day in the history of our university,” Jischke said at the announcement.

The gift will be applied toward plant research, farm profitability and education in the field of agronomy, among other uses.

“This is a transforming gift,” Jischke said. “With this gift, we plan to make the best agronomy department in the world.”

All $80 million is not new to the university. Some was part of a $34 million gift in 1996 that kicked off Campaign Destiny, the university’s largest private fund-raising initiative ever. $30 million of the original gift was invested for ISU to be received upon the death of the donor.

Jischke declined to name the donors, saying it was their wish to remain anonymous.

“They were typical Iowans, hard working, and their success grew out of their work ethic,” he said. “This couple who made this gift to Iowa State would be the first to admit they were just normal Iowans.

“They were rich in more important ways than financially — they were rich in family and rich in generosity, which we are about to experience today,” he said.

In a copyrighted article published Thursday, The Des Moines Register named the donors as the late Raymond and Mary Baker of Des Moines.

However, members of the ISU administration declined comment on the identity of the donors, saying it was their wish to remain anonymous.

Karen Bolluyt, head of information services for the College of Agriculture, said she was disappointed that the Register would try to identify the donors when they wished to remain anonymous.

“The donors were simple, modest people, and we are doing our best to honor their wishes,” she said.

Velma Morrison, sister-in-law of Mary Baker, told the Daily she was not able to confirm that the Bakers were the $80 million donors.

“I know that they gave a very good amount of money to the university,” she said, “but I don’t know the exact amount.”

Murray Blackwelder, vice president of External Affairs, also declined to confirm reports that the Bakers are the donors.

“The Des Moines Register may have its ideas, but it’s all just speculation,” he said. “All I will say is that we received a very large gift, and the family of the donors want to remain anonymous.

“The thing to concentrate on now is deciding where to go from here,” he said.

Chuck Johnson, national chairman of Campaign Destiny; Newlin; Gov. Tom Vilsack; David Topel, dean of the College of Agriculture; and Stacey Kunde, president of the Undergraduate Agronomy Club, all spoke at the announcement.

Vilsack referred to the gift as “a tremendous vote of confidence in the tradition and history of our state,” while Topel said he wanted “to extend my sincere thanks to the anonymous donors of this remarkable gift.”

The College of Agriculture has been working with the family of the donors, Topel said. Together they have worked to develop a master’s degree in agronomy taught to students around the world, a transgenic laboratory and a state-of-the art classroom in which ISU faculty can teach students worldwide.