MSU Foundation trustees tour advancement center, announce donation to honor director

The Missouri State University Foundation Board of Trustees this morning toured the Clifton M. Smart III Advancement Center, which is under construction at 1149 E. Bear Blvd.

Members of the media were invited to the tour, as well, in which a special donation announcement was made involving Brent Dunn, MSU Foundation executive director and vice president for university advancement.

James H. Wilson, chair of the foundation board, said trustees were making a donation in Dunn's name to name the facility's executive office suites after him. He did not disclose the value of the donation.

"When you think about baseball, you think about Ruth and Ohtani. Basketball, Magic, Michael, LeBron. Football, Patrick and Travis. For 40-plus years, the foundation has had Brent," Wilson said. "Brent Dunn is synonymous with the MSU Foundation and Missouri State advancement."

The announcement was one of surprise for Dunn, who had not been told of the donation prior to the tour.

"I'm really, really surprised," he said. "I'm humbled, but I tell you what, this is not about me. We do things on the back of people that are with us and came before us."

On the tour, MSU project manager and architect Michael Mardis showed the future spaces of multiple features of the advancement center, including an indoor event center, a living room area planned with a piano and fireplace, board room and office spaces, and displays showing the history of MSU and donations to the school.

J.E. Dunn Construction Co. is serving as construction manager at risk for the advancement center, which replaces a parking lot in front of Monroe Apartments at the corner of National Avenue and Bear Boulevard. The facility's architect is Dake Wells Architecture Inc., and Springfield Business Journal previously reported the 28,000-square-foot, two-story structure is slated for completion in September 2026. 

The new center was announced in April as the replacement for the downtown Meyer Alumni Center. MSU announced the sale of the Meyer building to Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc. earlier in the year. 

On the tour this morning, Dunn said progress is proceeding as planned on the Clifton M. Smart III Advancement Center.

"Construction is basically on time," he said. "We are right on budget."