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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.