Foundation delivers eight-figure gift to MSU

The C.W. Titus Foundation issued a multimillion-dollar donation to Missouri State University.

The donation from the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based foundation is an eight-figure gift, though officials with the university did not disclose the exact amount in a news release.

The funding is earmarked for MSU's College of Arts and Letters, which includes media, journalism and film, theater and dance, and music. The donation will provide full-ride scholarships for some students in the college, starting this fall. The issuance of the scholarships will be determined, in part, by financial need, with first-generation students getting first preference, an MSU spokesperson said.

“This gift makes a transformational statement as one of the largest in our university history,” said Shawn Wahl, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, in the release. “It removes economic barriers for students and helps the university build structures that foster student success."

The university is renaming the college the Judith Enyeart Reynolds College of Arts and Letters in recognition of the donation. Tim and Judy Reynolds are longtime MSU supporters, and both attended the university. Tim is a trustee of the C.W. Titus Foundation, and Judy worked for the MSU English Department from 1966-94.

Additionally, a new permanent amphitheater space will be created called Judith Enyeart Reynolds Art Park. It will be located near Craig Hall, the home of the College of Arts and Letters, according to the release.

The C.W. Titus Foundation also has supported public broadcasting through Ozarks Public Television and KSMU, both of which are housed at MSU.

Its latest donation goes toward MSU's Onward Upward capital campaign. Announced last year, the campaign now has raised more than $185 million of its $250 million goal. Officials with the school are seeking to raise the full amount by the end of 2022, according to the release.