Health-related programs get a boost from new facilities

A significant gift from the McQueary Family helped fund the expansion of the building on the corner of Kimbrough and Cherry, which is currently used by the physical therapy, public health and biomedical sciences programs. The expansion houses an anatomy laboratory, classrooms and offices for various health-related programs. The anatomy lab will be used by physical therapy, physician assistant studies, sports medicine and nurse anesthesia students.

“The McQueary family has always been involved in this university for several generations,” said Brent Dunn, vice president for university advancement. “We are so pleased we have a building that bears their name and honors their support for many years. They have an interest in all aspects of the university but have made their living in the health industry with their wholesale pharmaceutical company; so it is fitting the Health Sciences Hall is named in their honor.”

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 state-of-the-art anatomy laboratory and high-tech classrooms made possible by this generous gift from the McQueary family will enhance teaching and learning and enable us to accept more students into highly competitive health programs,” said Dr. Helen Reid, dean of the College of Health and Human Services.

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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$500,000 gift will support the center’s construction and endow intramural sports

Missouri State University students will have more to look forward to when the Bill R. Foster and Family Recreation Center opens thanks to a significant gift from Bobby Allison. The $500,000 gift will support the construction of the center and endow a portion of the intramural sports program.

In recognition of the gift, the basketball courts inside the Foster Recreation Center will be named the Betty and Bobby Allison Courts and the intramural field at Cherry and National will be named the Betty and Bobby Allison Intramural Fields. The endowment will be used to assist with the costs of the intramural program.

Betty Allison is the late mother of Bobby Allison.

“We very much appreciate Mr. Allison’s generous gift to benefit our students,” said Missouri State Interim President Clifton M. Smart III. “As state funding shrinks, private contributions such as these are key to the university continuing to advance. Mr. Allison’s gift adds yet more opportunities for our students and, thus, adds to the value Missouri State provides for its students.”

Bobby Allison has made several gifts to youth-related sporting programs, including the Betty Allison Junior Golf Course at Rivercut in Springfield, the Par 3 Golf Course at Glenstone and I-44 in Springfield, the Betty and Bobby Allison Miracle Baseball Field in Springfield, and the  golf range and kids golf course currently under-development at Twin Oaks Country Club in Springfield.

“I am so pleased to assist the university in their efforts to help with student projects,” said Bobby Allison. “The youth of today are so important to our future and I am pleased to do my part in help making a great educational college experience.”

The recreation center is a 100,000-square-foot, $30 million facility. 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. With a modern LEED certified design, the center will meet and exceed the recreation, wellness and social needs of students for generations.

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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Thanks to a major gift from Springfield philanthropist and long-time Missouri State University supporter Jim D. Morris, work will begin this year on the basketball locker rooms and team facilities in JQH Arena. In recognition of the gift, it will be named the Jim D. Morris Basketball Complex.

The university announced the gift Wednesday (March 7) at a morning news conference. The design of the complex will begin soon, with a target completion date of fall 2013. The two-level complex, located on the south side of the arena floor, will include locker rooms for both the Bears and Lady Bears basketball teams, coaches’ offices, an athletic training facility, an academic study area, a state-of-the-art team video room and other support areas. When JQH Arena opened in 2008, the area for the complex was left as shell space with the anticipation it would be completed at a later time through private gifts. Now that dream is closer to becoming a reality.

“This is a significant step forward for the basketball programs and the athletics program, and a great announcement for Missouri State University,” said Missouri State Interim President Clif Smart. “We very much appreciate the generosity of Mr. Morris and what this gift will mean to student-athletes for many years to come.

“We still have some work to do to finish funding the project, but this lead gift will allow us to move forward with plans while we finish obtaining gifts and commitments. Once this is completed, it will have a positive impact on our basketball programs.”

Gifts to the basketball complex will be included in the Our Promise Campaign. The campaign recently topped its $125 million goal and officials of the Missouri State University Foundation hope to reach $150 million milestone by Dec. 31. In 2008, an initial major gift was given by the McQueary family designated for the basketball complex project.

“We are extremely grateful for this gift and Mr. Morris’ commitment to the future of MSU athletics. It helps many aspects of our athletics program and improves the front porch of the university,” said Kyle Moats, director of intercollegiate athletics. “The impact on our basketball teams and their recruiting efforts is tremendous. But, the success of our basketball programs also affects every student-athlete and every intercollegiate program financially. The broad scope of this project and the commitment it takes to make this dream come true is certainly very special to everyone who wears maroon and white.”

Morris’ generosity to Missouri State University and the region has been widely documented. His 1998 gift allowed the university to renovate the Jim D. Morris Center in downtown Springfield. He was named Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year by the Ozark chapter of the National Society of Fund-Raising Executives in 2000 and has been a key part of the downtown Springfield revitalization efforts and the development of the Branson area into an international entertainment destination. He founded Morris Oil Co., the largest independent marketer of petroleum fuels in Missouri, when he was 23 years old. He is also the owner and founder of Morris Group Hotels and founder of Signature Bank.

Smart will recommend the naming of the center to the Board of Governors for official approval at the Board’s March 30 meeting.

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

View conference video online.

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$4 million gift largest ever given to West Plains campus

Missouri State University-West Plains students will soon benefit from the largest gift in the campus’ history – a $4 million gift that will endow and expand the Corps of Opportunity program and two athletics scholarships.

The gift to the Missouri State University Foundation is from the Lorene Thompson Brooks estate. In recognition, the Corps of Opportunity Program will be renamed the Ed and Lorene Thompson Brooks Corps of Opportunity Program. It is the largest scholarship gift in the Foundation’s history.

Lorene Thompson Brooks was born Feb. 27, 1930, in Stotesbury, Mo. Her family moved to Koshkonong, Mo. in 1941. She graduated from Koshkonong High School in 1948 and attended Draughon Business University in Springfield.

Brooks died Dec. 20, 2010, in Austin, Texas. Her older brother, Bob Thompson, and his wife, Eva, are her survivors and live in West Plains. When Brooks’ only child, Diedre, died of cancer in the late 90s, a relative suggested the daughter’s collection of books be given to the Garnett Library at Missouri State University-West Plains. This began a long-lasting relationship that spawned a continued interest in the campus and its students, resulting in this bequest to the university for need-based scholarships.

Lorene Thompson Brooks

“Mrs. Brooks has left a lasting legacy with this magnificent estate gift,” said Dr. Drew Bennett, Missouri State University-West Plains chancellor. “She was passionate about helping students with financial need achieve a college education, and this historical gift will do just that by allowing us to endow and fully fund our Corps of Opportunity program, which will double the number of students benefiting from this program. The gift also will fully cover the cost of two Grizzly Athletics scholarships, which is very fitting since Mrs. Brooks was a real fan of collegiate athletics. A gift of this magnitude is both humbling and inspiring.”   

The Corps of Opportunity Program combines scholarships and on-campus work opportunities for qualified students who need financial help to pay for their college education. Although federal and state financial aid programs provide assistance to students who have the greatest financial need, the Corps of Opportunity Program targets students who have unmet financial need, whether or not they received benefits from one of these government programs.

“As we focus on access to higher education for all students, financial aid becomes increasing important,” said Interim President Clif Smart. “The need-based scholarships this fund will provide for West Plains students may very well mean the difference between a student getting a college degree and not. That is the significance of this gift. It will have a positive impact on students’ lives.”

In addition to providing much needed financial assistance to students, the Corps of Opportunity program provides students with on-campus jobs that will enable them to fund their education. The program was started in the 2008 summer semester and currently benefits up to eight students each academic year.

“We so much appreciate that Mrs. Brooks included Missouri State-West Plains in her estate plan,” said Brent Dunn, vice president of university advancement. “Her family will now have a lasting legacy in helping the education process at West Plains. Today we celebrate not just the largest single scholarship gift to Missouri State but we celebrate the numbers of students whose life will change because of education. She is making a difference and will continue to make a difference in the future.”

The gift is part of Our Promise: The Campaign for Missouri State University. Information about the campaign is available at www.ourpromise.missouristate.edu. Anyone wanting to give to the campaign can do so online.

Planned giving options are available online, as well as a planned gifts calculator.

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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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