Campaign extends commitment to students, communities

On Aug. 28, 2009, Missouri State University announced to alumni, friends and the campus community that it was launching the largest campaign in its history. Our Promise: The Campaign for Missouri State University set an ambitious goal: $125 million by Dec. 31, 2012.

Today (Jan. 26) campaign co-chairs Tom Strong and Ramona McQueary announced that the goal was exceeded well ahead of schedule, with more than $134,526,000 in total gifts and commitments to date. In addition, they announced that the Our Promise campaign will strive to reach the $150 million level by the campaign’s originally scheduled conclusion.

“The campaign’s success speaks to the strong feelings our alumni and friends have toward Missouri State University,” said Missouri State Interim President Clifton M. Smart III.  “That is very gratifying. And, given the state’s difficult budget situation, the successful campaign comes at a particularly good time to help ensure we continue to provide a highest possible education experience for the next generation of leaders and citizens.”

Since the Our Promise campaign launched, the Missouri State University Foundation has received more than 209,000 gifts, with nearly 70,000 donors giving to the campaign, almost half of them first-time donors. More than 300 new scholarships have been established to date.

In addition, several significant gifts have contributed to numerous campus facilities, including McQueary Family Health Sciences Hall, Greenwood Science Scholars Wing, Darr Agricultural Center, Journagan Ranch, JQH Arena, the Foster Family University Recreation Center, the Robert W. Plaster Center for Free Enterprise and Business Development, Gohn Hall on the West Plains campus and others.

“The members of the National Steering Committee, alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students deserve all of the credit for the success of Our Promise,” said McQueary. “This day is a celebration of a lot of hard work. However, we want to remind everyone that due to the circumstances, there is still work to be done.” 

“Due to the challenge posed by the potential significant cuts to state funding for Missouri State University, the members of the National Steering Committee for Our Promise feel strongly that the campaign should continue,”  said Strong. “This campaign is about helping students realize their dreams and reach their full potential. We will continue to do just that.”

Individual goals for the campaign include $48.5 million for facilities, $40 million for enhancement of programs/community engagement, $20 million for student scholarships, $15 million for faculty endowments and $1.5 million for investment in the West Plains campus.  While the campaign has surpassed some of the goals, others remain to be achieved before the Dec. 31 end date.

“We want to thank all our donors for making the campaign so successful and for the involvement of people that truly care about education,” said Brent Dunn, vice president for university advancement. “We still want to involve as many alumni and friends as possible before the campaign concludes at the end of the calendar year.”

More information about Our Promise: The Campaign for Missouri State University is available on the university website at www.ourpromise.missouristate.edu. Anyone wanting to give to the campaign can do so online.

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Facility to be named Bill R. Foster and Family Recreation Center

When students enter the university recreation center for the first time this spring, they will find a new place on campus to enjoy a variety of wellness and recreational activities. In addition, thanks to a major gift commitment from Bill R. Foster and the Foster Family, they will find the building already has a name: the Bill R. Foster and Family Recreation Center.

“We are very excited about helping to provide this great facility to faculty, students and staff,” said Bill R. Foster. “We appreciate the opportunity to be part of a beautiful facility that will serve Missouri State University, especially the present and future students.”

Bill Foster is a Springfield businessperson with a lifelong commitment to healthcare. He and his family have a long history with Missouri State University. Over the past 30 years, they have been integral to the university’s growth and development by establishing scholarships, giving to capital projects such as Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts and JQH Arena, and supporting intercollegiate athletics programs.

In addition, Bill Foster served on the Missouri State Foundation Board from 1987-93, including a year as its president in 1990-91. His son, Tony Foster, is currently serving on the Foundation Board of Trustees; another son, John Foster, served as co-chair of The Bears Fund.

“We very much appreciate this generous support from the Foster Family,” said Missouri State Interim President Clif Smart, “and we are pleased and honored to have the Foster name forever associated with Missouri State through the naming of this building. The Bill R. Foster and Family Recreation Center will serve many generations of Missouri State students.”

The Foster Family is pictured from left to right: Tony and Lyn Foster; Bill and Juanitha Foster; John and Susan Foster; and Kaye Foster-Gibson

The recreation center is a 100,000-square-foot, $30 million facility currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed in March 2012. The project was initiated in 2006 by student leaders, designed with the help of students, and is being funded through a dedicated student fee and private contributions. The center will contain three gyms, a climbing wall, an aquatics area, an indoor track, a cardio-fitness center, locker rooms and multi-purpose rooms for fitness assessment, dance and other related activities.

“This is such a great testament to students about how much the community cares about the success of Missouri State,” said Scott Turk, Student Government Association president. “The recreation center will have an extreme impact on both the health and social environments on campus. We could not be more thankful for all of the amazing support that we receive and are excited now more than ever for the opening of the facility.”

With a modern LEED certified design, the center will meet and exceed the recreation, wellness and social needs of students for generations. Although not completed, the center has already received two design awards, one through the American Institute of Architects (AIA) St. Louis Chapter; the other is from AIA Central Region. Recognition by the AIA is one of the top honors for a designer since the recognition comes from a jury of design peers. Doug Sampson, university architect and director of campus planning, has led the design efforts.

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Thanks to a major gift commitment, Missouri State University will be able to complete its No. 1 capital priority: renovation of Gohn Hall. The gift that made the project possible came from the family who originally donated the home: longtime West Plains banker David Gohn and his sister, longtime public educator Virginia Gohn Sapp of St. Louis, Mo.

Renovation of Gohn Hall, expected to cost approximately $2.5 million, will be bid this fall, with construction to begin in the spring of 2012. The renovated facility is expected to open in time for classes in fall 2013. Once completed, the building will provide a permanent home for Missouri State University’s Academic Outreach Program, which offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs on the West Plains campus.

Missouri State University System Interim President Clif Smart made the announcement today (Sept. 14). The gift will be coupled with university monies from both the Springfield and West Plains campuses to complete the estimated $2.5 million project.

The complete news release is available at http://wp.missouristate.edu/univcomm/13710.htm

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Despite budget cuts, economic turmoil, Foundation finds great support 

For the fourth year in a row, the Missouri State University Foundation set a new record for fundraising in Fiscal Year 2011, which ended June 30. The $16,698,481 raised during FY11 topped the Foundation’s previous record of $15,512,371. The gifts will help to fund programs, scholarships, equipment and other needs across campus.

“We are so very thankful to all our donors,” said Brent Dunn, vice president for university advancement. “The support for the university continues to grow and we are appreciative of every single gift. This is our fourth consecutive record in a row and that shows people really care about education and this institution.”

With gifts from 24,316 donors, the Foundation was able to raise approximately $1.4 million per month. This support helps to achieve the university’s overall goals of increasing student access to higher education and recruiting and maintaining quality faculty members. Over the last four years, the Foundation has raised an average of more than $1 million per month.

“Every donor is important to Missouri State University,” said Larry Frazier, chairman of the Missouri State University Foundation Board of Trustees. “We are especially pleased that our alumni continue to demonstrate their support of the university through their gifts. Their gifts allow future students to also benefit from receiving an education at Missouri State.”

For the second time in three years, Missouri State won national recognition for its fundraising success. The university won an “Overall Performance Award” in the 2011 CASE Educational Fundraising Awards program.

The Missouri State University Foundation was established in 1981 as the fund-raising arm of the university. Since then, the Foundation has received nearly $200 million through outright gifts, and an additional $50 million has been recorded through deferred commitments. The outright gifts are already being utilized on campus. The deferred gifts will come to the university at a later date through bequests, trusts, annuities, life insurance and other instruments.

For more information, contact Dunn at (417) 836-6666 or brentdunn@missouristate.edu.

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Missouri State University-West Plains is starting its first endowed professorship.

At Friday’s Missouri State University Board of Governors meeting in Springfield, Missouri State-West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett will announce that university officials have received the minimum amount needed in donations and pledges, $250,000, to create the Donna Jones Endowed Professorship of Nursing.

The campaign, which gives donors the option of making a one-time gift or a pledge for an annual gift for the next five years, will continue throughout the summer in an effort to increase the professorship fund beyond the $250,000 minimum, he said.  Several individuals and businesses already have indicated they are considering donating to the fund, he added, so university officials expect to receive additional gifts in the near future.

Those who already have donated toward the professorship include Denver and Seth Myers of West Plains, Willow Health Care Inc., West Vue Inc., Air Evac EMS Inc., Burton Creek Medical Complex, Marvin L. Fowler of West Plains, Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic, Penmac and Ozarks Medical Center, as well as several others who wished to remain anonymous, Bennett said.

“This is a major accomplishment for our campus,” he said.  “This effort not only will help our nursing program, it will assist us in recruiting and retaining faculty of all disciplines.  An endowed professorship tells everyone that this institution values our faculty.  Many people in our region are willing to help students with scholarships.  While this is extremely important, it is just as important to help the hard-working faculty who teach those students.  It is my hope that this is the first of other endowed professorships for our campus.”

Now that the university has received commitments for $250,000, the university will begin paying the money that would be provided by that amount until the endowment is paid in full, Bennett said.  As a result, the professorship will provide the money needed to add to the salary for its recipient, bringing that person closer to current market salaries, he explained.

This comes at a crucial time for the nursing department, which is limited to 45 slots each admission cycle for the Associate of Science in Nursing degree program.  Each year, the number of area residents applying to the program far outnumbers the slots available, but any attempt to expand the program would require additional nursing instructors, a commodity that is becoming increasingly difficult to fulfill because of low faculty pay, Bennett said.

The fund-raising campaign for the professorship was announced May 3 at the “Last Lecture” by retiring Director of Nursing Donna Jones.  The professorship was named in honor of Jones, who has spent the last 23 years teaching in Missouri State-West Plains’ nursing program.

Jones said she was thrilled to hear the money had been raised to fund the professorship.  “I’m very honored.  The nursing program is very close to my heart.  It has been my life for 23 years, and having a way to attract and keep quality faculty means this program will continue to serve the needs of this area well into the future,” she said.

For more information about giving to the professorship or other ways to give to Missouri State-West Plains, call the development office at 417-255-7240 or visit the office’s website at http://wp.missouristate.edu/development/.

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The new 27,331-square-foot Learning Center at Missouri State University’s William H. Darr Agricultural Center will be named for former Missouri Senator Christopher S. “Kit” Bond. The Christopher S. Bond Learning Center will be officially dedicated during a ceremony June 17 with Bond in attendance.

Missouri Senator Christopher S. “Kit” Bond

The Missouri State Board of Governors took the action today (May 12) at its regular meeting in Springfield. According to the resolution passed by the Board, the naming is to honor Bond’s “long and distinguished career in public service,” and “his advocacy for agriculture in Missouri and at Missouri State.”

“It is an honor to have my name associated with a center that will improve agriculture not only in the Ozarks, but throughout Missouri and around the world,” said Bond. “Missouri State University is preparing tomorrow’s leaders in agriculture and I am proud to have been a part of that important effort.”

The Bond Learning Center, which is being completed this month, is one of the major facilities at the Darr Agricultural Center. It will house offices, a laboratory, two classrooms and a large multi-purpose room suitable for meetings, banquets and other functions. It will provide a valuable resource, not only for Missouri State University’s William H. Darr School of Agriculture, but also for the entire region.

The Bond Learning Center was completed at a total cost of $6.8 million through a combination of university resources, private gifts and federal funds. The Missouri Congressional delegation, led by Senator Bond, successfully pursued federal support of the Darr Agricultural Center to enhance the state’s agriculture industry.

“Over the years, there has been no better advocate for the State of Missouri and the agriculture industry than Senator Bond,” said Elizabeth Bradbury, chair of the Board. “Missouri State certainly benefited from his knowledge, his persistence and his legislative skill for those 24 years in the United States Senate. It is a great pleasure for the Board and university to recognize him in this way.”

A sixth generation Missourian, Bond was born in St. Louis and grew up in Mexico, Mo., where he lives today. Bond graduated cum laude from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and received his law degree from the University of Virginia, where he graduated first in his class.

During his decades of public service, Bond earned a reputation as a skilled statesman able to build coalitions and work across party lines to achieve results. He retired in 2010 after serving four terms in the United States Senate from 1986-2011, where he was known for his work with the military and agriculture. Bond also served as Missouri State auditor (1971-73) and two-terms as governor of Missouri (1973-77, 1981-85). Bond’s ascension to the governor’s office in 1973 at age 33 makes him the youngest ever to hold that office.

“You would have to look long and hard to find an elected official who has better represented the interests of Missouri over a lifetime than Senator Bond,” said Missouri State President James E. Cofer Sr. “We are honored to have his name permanently associated with Missouri State University.”

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On Jan. 13, 1981, a certificate of incorporation was issued by the Missouri State Secretary of State to the then-Southwest Missouri State University Foundation, Inc. Thirty years later and with a total of $220 million in gifts and commitments, the Foundation has launched its year-long anniversary celebration. The Foundation’s current $125 million campaign is well underway, and the Foundation today announced 30 new scholarships and several significant gifts totaling nearly $3 million.

Leading the way is a naming-level gift from the McQueary Family that will go toward the expansion of the Physical Therapy Building on the corner of Kimbrough and Cherry. The gift will be used for construction of a 5,000 square foot second wing. The building is currently used for the physical therapy program, the physician’s assistant program, nursing and sports medicine. Once the expansion is complete, the building will house the cadaver lab, classrooms and offices for various health-related programs. Pending approval by the Board of Governors, the building will be renamed McQueary Family Health Sciences Hall.

“The entire McQueary family is very pleased to assist with the expansion of this important building and we are very excited about seeing students graduate in the health sciences,” said Ramona McQueary. “We have a long history with the university and the entire McQueary family is honored to be associated with Missouri State University.”

William M. McQueary started a family business in the early 1900s when he opened a drugstore on the corner of Madison and John Q. Hammons Parkway. William McQueary’s sons, William Les and Frederick Gordon McQueary, then founded McQueary Brothers Drug Company in 1924. The McQueary Family’s legacy of giving was inspired by Les and Jennie McQueary, who enjoyed Missouri State athletics, leading to the couple’s children, Fred M. McQueary and the late William T. “Bill” McQueary, serving as the first co-chairs of the Bears Fund in 1982. Fred and Ramona McQueary and Bill and Shirley McQueary, and their families, have continued the long tradition of support of Missouri State University.

The Foundation also announced a gift of more than $1 million from the estate of Mildred Wilcox. Wilcox began her 40 years of service to the university in 1963 as secretary to Dr. Duane Meyer, then dean of faculties and provost. When Meyer became president in 1971, she continued in the same position with Dr. Robert Gilmore as dean. Wilcox stopped working full time in 1978, but continued to work part time on campus until 2003, when she retired at the age of 92. Her contributions to the university were recognized with the 2002 Alumni Association Award of Appreciation for Outstanding Service and she was inducted into the Missouri State University Wall of Fame in 2003. Wilcox passed away in 2010.

Her gift will fund several endowed scholarships that will be available to juniors, seniors and graduate students in a variety of academic areas: the Roy T. And Mildred Durr Wilcox Endowed Scholarship in the College of Business Administration, the Roy T. and Mildred Durr Wilcox Endowed Scholarship in the College of Health and Human Services, the Roy T. and Mildred Durr Wilcox Endowed Scholarship in Communications, the Dr. Robert K. Gilmore Graduate Scholarship in Communications and the Dr. Duane G. Meyer Graduate Scholarship in History.

During today’s announcement, the Foundation also recognized the 240 donors who have contributed for all 30 years of the organization’s existence.

“On behalf of the faculty, staff and students, I want to thank the Missouri State Foundation and the donors who have supported it for three decades,” said Missouri State President James E. Cofer Sr. “These generous donations have meant increased access for students, enhanced excellence for our faculty, a campus with outstanding facilities and so much more. The support of private dollars through the Foundation has been important for the past 30 years – but that support has never been more vital than it is today, in 2011.” (See below for brief history of the Foundation.)

In addition, 30 new scholarships (see below for complete list) and other significant gifts were announced:

• Woody Justice, of Justice Jewelers, provided a substantial gift to support research at the Mountain Grove Fruit Experiment Station.
• A major gift from the Larry and Glenna Frazier Family Trust has funded a new display of Missouri State University memorabilia in the Meyer Alumni Center. The Missouri State University Gallery of Memories is located on the first floor and displays artifacts from the different eras of the university.
• A major gift from the Bill Turner Family Foundation has funded renovations to the Hospitality Room in the Meyer Alumni Center. Renovations included painting, a new stage and university memorabilia display area. The Hospitality Room will now be called the Turner Family Hospitality Room. Furniture for the area was gifted by Ashley Furniture.
• James H. (Jim) Wilson, a 1984 accounting alumnus, made a major gift commitment which will benefit the College of Business Administration faculty and JQH Arena.
• Ozarks Public Television is the beneficiary of a major gift from the estate of Charles Loucks. Loucks was a long-time supporter of public television.
• Several gifts have been made for the Intercollegiate Athletics Academic Achievement Center. Renovations will be made to the center, which is located in Forsythe Athletics Center, and will be named the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Academic Achievement Center in honor of her dedication to student athletes. Wynn was a pioneer in women’s athletics at Missouri State University and a longtime athletics coach and administrator.
• Major gifts to the Greenwood Science Scholars’ Wing are from David McQueary, Rick and Mary McQueary, William T. Kemper Foundation, Matthew and Stacey Bailey, Robert Calbert, Greenwood PTA, Dr. Greg and Carol Ann Haake, The Tynes Family, Bill and Ginger Hardie, Commerce Bancshares Foundation, Bob Hammerschmidt, The Pinegar Family, Ed and Carol Pinegar, Tad and Amy Pinegar, Abbi and Charles Rose, Angie Pinegar and Dr. Jeffrey and Sharon Woodward.

“We are pleased to celebrate the past 30 years of the Foundation and we are excited for the next 30,” said Brent Dunn, vice president for university advancement. “The dedication of our donors to higher education sets us up for a bright future for Missouri State University”

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List of 30 New Scholarships

BRIC Study Abroad Scholarship – Established by Chris Curtis
A scholarship for an undergraduate College of Business Administration student using the funds toward costs of studying abroad, preferably to study business in Brazil, Russia, India or China.

Dr. John S. Bowdidge Scholarship
A scholarship for an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in the finance and general business department, particularly those demonstrating financial need and those with an interest in international business.

Commercial Property and Casualty Underwriters Society of St. Louis Insurance Scholarship
A scholarship for an undergraduate student seeking a degree in insurance and risk management.

Dr. Orie A. Cheatham Scholarship
A scholarship for a strong-performing junior or senior accounting or business education major.

Douglas Family Football Scholarship
A scholarship for a student athlete from the Mountain Grove, Mo. area who is playing football.

Edwards Family Scholarship
A scholarship for a strong-performing student from Greene, Christian, Webster, Wright, Dallas, Polk, Douglas, Laclede, Taney, Barton, Lawrence, Barry, Dade, Newton, Jasper, Ozark, Vernon, McDonald, Stone or Cedar counties in Missouri. Preference for a student seeking a degree in the College of Business Administration.

Einhellig Family Scholarship
A scholarship for a graduate student pursuing the Master of Science in Plant Science.

Dave and Arlette Elliott/Dave and Rose Heaser Scholarship in Business Administration
A scholarship for undergraduate students with financial need who are seeking a degree in the College of Business Administration.

Ben and Janis Fuqua Agriculture Scholarship
This scholarship will benefit a full-time student, majoring in a School of Agriculture discipline with preference going to agronomy majors.

Dr. Larry L. George Scholarship in the Honors College
A scholarship for an undergraduate student in the Honors College who demonstrates financial need.

Kent and Pam Hedgpeth Scholarship
A scholarship for a high-performing undergraduate student who has plans to pursue a career in education and graduated from a rural high school.

Hanover Scholarship for Mathematics
A scholarship for either an undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a major in mathematics or math education.

Insurance Association of the Ozarks Scholarship
This scholarship will benefit a junior or a senior with a major or minor directly related to a field in the insurance industry.

The Jack Henry Associates, Inc. COBA Scholarship Fund
A scholarship for an undergraduate student seeking a degree in computer information systems, finance or accounting.

Ryan Howard Family Foundation Scholarship
A scholarship for a student athlete who is participating in men’s baseball.

The Mark W. and Jackie Moore Family Scholarship
A scholarship for a member of the men’s basketball team who is in good academic standing.

The Lucille Strawson Abegglen Scholarship for the Arts
A scholarship for students working to increase awareness of, participation in, and appreciation for the fine arts.

Northwestern Mutual/Aaron Tanner Scholarship
A scholarship for a student majoring in marketing and interested in pursuing a career in sales.

Graham and Connie O’Neal Scholarship
The Graham and Connie O’Neal Scholarship is an annually-funded scholarship to assist a student enrolled at Missouri State University-West Plains whose area of emphasis or interest is English.

Peggy Ammons Nursing Scholarship
This scholarship is for an undergraduate or graduate nursing student who has a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and who can demonstrate community service involvement and financial need.

Residence Life and Services Custodial Staff Scholarship
This scholarship will benefit a residence life custodial staff member at Missouri State University.

Norman and Peggy Rieger Family Endowed Scholarship
A scholarship for a Missouri State-West Plains student with financial need who has graduated from West Plains or Dora high schools.

Mary H. Sheid Student Ambassador Book Scholarship Endowment
This endowment will cover the full rental cost of books for a student ambassador who serves on the student public relations team that promotes Missouri State University-West Plains by conducting campus tours and serving as hosts for university-sponsored activities.

Mark and Tina Stillwell Scholarship
This endowed scholarship will benefit students at Missouri State University.

Kent and Barbara Thomas Student Ambassador Book Scholarship Endowment
This endowment will cover the full rental cost of books for a student chosen to represent Missouri State University-West Plains as a student ambassador to promote the university by conducting campus tours and helping to host university-sponsored activities.

Mary Jean (Price) Walls Multicultural Leadership Scholarship
A scholarship for an incoming freshman and a student already enrolled at Missouri State who enhances multicultural diversity, demonstrates leadership and academic strength, and plans to make a positive impact on the multicultural community at Missouri State.

David and Deborah Grisham Wehrman Leadership Scholarship
An annually-funded scholarship that will assist a West Plains High School graduate attend Missouri State University-West Plains. Recipients for this leadership scholarship are nominated by the high school superintendent.

The Marion and Pat Wolf Family Scholarship
A scholarship for strong-performing graduates of Strafford High School, particularly those with financial need.

The Kunkel Family Scholarship Fund
A scholarship for a strong-performing student pursuing a major within the sciences who has financial need.

The Jack E. Weimer Family Athletics Scholarship
A scholarship for student athletes who participate in men’s or women’s basketball.

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A Brief History of the Missouri State University Foundation
Based on “SMSU Foundation: Its Roots” by Dr. Kenneth Brown

In the 1970s, as a result of high inflation and economic recession, many states, including Missouri, had to rethink traditional public higher education finance policy. Until that time, few public institutions in Missouri like then-Southwest Missouri State University pursued private donations.

In the early 1980s, the university became proactive rather than reactive in its pursuit of private donations. In the fall of 1980, shortly after the Board of Regents made the decision to move to Division I athletics, the Board hired the university’s first fundraisers. Ralph Manley was named director of development and Bill Maynard was named athletic development officer. These individuals reported to a new assistant to the president, Kenneth Brown, who had been hired to help with the transition to Division I athletics.

Almost immediately after being hired, the fundraising staff saw the need for an educational foundation through which the university could operate its fundraising program. Brown worked with university attorneys Carl Yates and Carson Elliff to set up the Foundation’s corporate structure. On Jan. 13, 1981, a certificate of incorporation was issued by the Missouri State Secretary of State to the then-Southwest Missouri State University Foundation, Inc. SMSU was the last of the state’s five regional institutions to form a foundation.

The SMSU Foundation’s incorporators were President Duane Meyer, Board of Regents Treasurer Maurice Edwards and Presidential Secretary Wilma Tolbert. The members of the first Board of Directors were the existing SMSU Board of Regents: Dr. T. M. MacDonnell, Ray Forsythe, Max Lilley, Dr. Harry Kelly, June Hamra and Ed Stracke. These individuals served until a new 12-member Board of Directors was appointed by President Meyer in June 1981.

At the May 1981 meeting of the Foundation Board, Kenneth Brown was named the first executive director of the Foundation and at the June and July 1981 meetings a total of 12 individuals were approved to serve as the Foundation’s Board from that point forward. The first group to serve on the Foundation Board consisted of Dr. Joseph Johnson, Ramona McQuery, Dr. Stephen Bodanske, R. Dwain Hammons, Georgia Calton, Gene Ruble, Darrell Love, R. Wagner Love, Howard Randall, Virginia Dailey and Dr. Glen Johnston.

In 1982, Greg Onstot was hired and soon thereafter replaced Brown as the Foundation’s executive director. Onstot began an intensive study of successful foundations at other universities, which allowed him to launch a program that would not only prove successful but also provide a stable giving structure for the long term.

The university’s major gift club, the Founder’s Club, was initiated to encourage gifts to academics and for capital projects. Onstot also established the Bears Fund for donors to intercollegiate athletics.

Over the past 30 years, thousands of private contributions have been given to the university’s departments and programs. The Foundation’s success is due to the continued willingness of donors to invest in the future of the students and the university on the campuses in Springfield, Mountain Grove, West Plains and China. In its history, the Missouri State University Foundation has received $220 million in gift commitments.

Private giving continues to be of critical importance to the university. Many opportunities are created through the generosity of friends to the institution, consisting of a family of alumni, parents, graduating seniors, current and retired faculty and staff, community members, local and national businesses, foundations and other organizations.

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