Office of University Communications
$1.775 million contributed to Missouri State in recent weeks
Date: January 25, 2008
Contact: Dr. Michael Nietzel, (417) 836-8500
Brent Dunn, (417) 836-6666
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Nearly $1.8 million has been contributed or pledged to the Missouri State University Foundation in recent weeks. The total includes $675,000 for academic purposes and $1.1 million for intercollegiate athletics. Much of the $1.1 million is for the new JQH Arena, moving the private gift total to $5 million, the amount the university committed to raise above and beyond the $30 million lead gift from John Q. Hammons.
“We are extremely pleased with and very proud of the individuals, companies and groups who have stepped forward to help us advance our academic programs and intercollegiate athletics programs,” said Missouri State President Michael T. Nietzel. “We are especially gratified to meet the $5 million milestone for the new arena. I thank each and every one of the donors who have helped us meet our commitment.”
The recent major gifts in support of the university’s academic programs include:
- Bob Noble of Springfield has made a gift commitment to support improvements to the art and design facility which the university will lease in downtown Springfield beginning in August. Known as Brick City, the facility is located on Mill Street off Boonville.
- Bank of America has made a gift to provide for laboratory and facility additions at the Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center.
- The Sunderland Foundation of Kansas City has made a gift to fund facility improvements and equipment associated with the university’s department of industrial management.
- 1970 agriculture alumnus William K. Berry, from Port Orange, Fla., has made a contribution for the conference room in Karls Hall, which houses the department of agriculture.
- Errett and Pat Sechler have made a significant addition to the Sechler and Welker Families Vocal Music Scholarship Fund.
One gift has been made to support the university’s athletics facilities:
- The Jim D. Morris family has contributed a gift that will establish the Jim D. Morris Family Strength and Conditioning Center in the Turner Family Practice Court in Hammons Student Center.
The most recent gifts toward the $5 million construction costs of JQH Arena include:
- Missouri State Athletics Director Bill Rowe and three anonymous donors have joined a group of prior contributors supporting the Athletics Hall of Fame, which will be part of the East Concourse.
- Prestressed Casting and its owner, Bill Johnson, have made a gift to support the design and construction of the plaza surrounding the entrance to the arena.
The most recent gifts toward additional enhancements of JQH Arena include:
- The McQueary Family of Springfield has made a gift to support the construction of new home team locker rooms to be added to the arena.
More than $7.2 million has now been donated or pledged to support JQH Arena – $5 million the university committed to raise for construction of the facility, plus $2.2 million toward additional enhancements, such as a video scoreboard and home locker room facilities.
“We have made tremendous progress by raising more than $7 million in private support for the arena,” said Brent Dunn, vice president for university advancement. “There are still a substantial number of proposals for additional support under consideration and/or being developed. We will ultimately exceed our private funding target for this project by a considerable margin.
“And we appreciate the growing support of our academic programs, faculty members and students. It is private support such as this that will help make Missouri State even more successful in the future.”