H. Campbell "Cal" Stuckeman received an architecture degree from Penn State University more than 70 years ago. It's where he met his future wife.

If there were any doubts about the O'Hara resident's gratitude toward his alma mater, the 94-year-old retired head of The Precise Corp. laid them to rest with his latest gift to Penn State -- a $20 million commitment to help educate future architects.

His donation, which Penn State said yesterday ties for the third largest individual gift in school history, is aimed at increasing cross-disciplinary learning opportunities in both the architecture and landscape architecture programs. The money will fund endowments with three general objectives: creating chairs and professorships for faculty and visiting professionals; encouraging teaching and research initiatives; and advancing the curriculum.

In recognition of the donation, Penn State President Graham Spanier plans to ask campus trustees to name the school of architecture and landscape architecture for Mr. Stuckeman and his late wife, Eleanor, who passed away in 2002, the university said.

Mr. Stuckeman could not be reached for comment yesterday. In a statement released by Penn State, he expressed affinity for the university and a desire to help students who follow his career path.

"My family has been associated with Penn State for over 100 years," he said. "I am very proud of this past association. This gift represents my profound interest in ensuring the future success of the design professions at Penn State and making them the very best in the country."

Mike Bezilla, a Penn State spokesman, said Mr. Stuckeman's gift is the same size as one received in 1998 from Sam and Irene Black toward the business school at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.

Those two gifts are surpassed only by a $50 million gift in 1963 from the Milton S. Hershey Trust to establish the Hershey Medical Center, and a $30 million gift in 1997 from Bill and Joan Schreyer for the Schreyer Honors College, Mr. Bezilla said.

Mr. Stuckeman, who completed his undergraduate degree in 1937, is retired president and chairman of The Precise Corp., maker of machine tools and measuring devices. Before that, he worked for 30 years in Pittsburgh with Rockwell Corp., now known as Rockwell International, according to a statement from Penn State.

The Stuckemans' giving to Penn State dates back to the 1950s, starting with a gift to the annual fund. In 2003, the couple gave $10 million toward construction of the Stuckeman Family Building, which opened in 2004, with teaching space for the architecture and landscape architecture departments.