Drury Hotel Company recently donated $25,000 to the Hospitality and Restaurant Administration department at Missouri State University. The gift will be used to support the department’s growth initiatives.

“For many years, the Drury Hotel Company has hired Missouri State hospitality students to manage their properties,” said Melissa Dallas, professor and head of the hospitality department. “They are an outstanding hotel company whose core values are strikingly similar to ours.”

Drury Hotels is completely family owned and operated, and has received the J.D. Power and Associates award for “Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Mid-Scale Hotel Chains with Limited Service” for each of the past five years. Based in St. Louis, the company currently owns and operates over 130 hotels in 20 states.

Chuck Drury, president and chief executive officer of Drury Hotels, wrote, “We recognize the importance of the work being done by your department, and we are pleased to be able to provide our support.”

Approximately 240 students currently major in hospitality administration at Missouri State. It is the only program in Missouri which is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration. The department has graduated over 2,000 majors since its inception in 1983.