An Auburn native has made the largest financial donation in the history of Niagara University.

Jerry Bisgrove, a 1968 Niagara graduate who grew up in Auburn and ran the Red Star Express trucking company, gave his alma mater $5 million, the school announced this week. Bisgrove now runs a real estate development company based in Scotsdale, Ariz.

“I would never be where I am today without my Niagara education,” Bisgrove said in a press release from the school.

Red Star grew into a national trucking company before its closure in 2004 due to financial problems.

At that point, it had been through several mergers and was based in New Jersey.

The company started as a family business in Auburn in 1932. Bisgrove was its president and chief executive officer prior to selling it in the 1980s.

The gift to Niagara will help the university construct a new building for its college of business administration. The building will be named “Bisgrove Hall.”

Another part of the gift - $500,000 - will establish a new academic programming endowment named after the Rev. Joseph G. Dunne, who was a mentor and friend of Bisgrove.

Dunne served at Niagara for more than 20 years, including stints as executive vice president and director of student financial aid. He died in 1984.

“Jerry obviously has a warm spot in his heart for Niagara, and he fully appreciates the huge benefit this gift will be to the future of the university,” said the Rev. Francis X. Prior, vice president emeritus for institutional advancement.