Latest donations to MSU total $3.5M

The latest gifts total $3.5 million – including $1.3 million for academics and $2.2 million for athletics.

BancorpSouth, which in July completed its acquisition of Springfield-based The Signature Bank, made a four-part commitment making up $2 million of today’s contributions. The Tupelo, Miss.-based bank will fund a new video scoreboard at Plaster Sports Complex in time for the 2008 season, establish an endowed professorship, become the lead corporate sponsor for the MSU Promise Scholarship and sponsor the North Concourse at the school’s JQH Arena, now under construction.

Plaster Sports Complex also has received attention from Morgan Stanley, which has committed funds for the facility’s enhancement.

Elliott Lodging has joined previously announced contributors Fred and Ramona McQueary and Jim and Sally Wachtman in supporting the Athletics Hall of Fame at JQH Arena. The company’s owner, hotelier Gordon Elliott, is a member of the MSU Board of Governors.

Also gifting for JQH Arena is Springfield office equipment dealer Office Concepts and its owner Steve Moore. Moore and his business will sponsor the guest services area, which will be called Office Concepts.

Noel Boyd is another JQH Arena supporter, joining previous donors Bill and Virgina Darr, H.E. “Spook” and Liz Whitener and family, and Tom Strong and family, in assisting with the arena’s Grand Entrance, its only public entry.

Leo Journagan Construction Co. Inc. made an in-kind gift to assist with the third phase of MSU’s 110-acre William H. Darr Agricultural Center on South Kansas Expressway. The company will pave the center’s main entrance road, construct a 137-vehicle parking lot, construct a 15-truck/trailer parking lot, construct various service drives and replace the low-water bridge. In return, the main entrance will be named “Journagan Ranch Road.”

Meanwhile, Guy Mace, president of local manufacturer Turblex Inc., has endowed a professorship for MSU’s new cooperative engineering program with the University of Missouri–Rolla.

Other academic contributions will fund:

• The Bill Berry Endowed Scholarship for graduates of Strafford High School who attend MSU. Berry is an agriculture alumnus of MSU.

• The Dr. Robert W. Martin Research Fellowship for junior or senior chemistry majors who plan to pursue graduate studies at MSU.

• The Larry D. and Glenna C. Frazier Endowed Scholarship for students from Branson, Ozark and West Plains high schools.

On June 30, the MSU Foundation completed its second best year, with $10.9 million in gifts received. The previous year set the standing record of $11.8 million in gifts.