For Immediate Release – Lawton, OK, Nov. 19, 2007
Cameron University receives first Area of
Repose donation for Bentley Gardens
A mother and daughter with historical ties to Lawton are the first to establish an Area of Repose in the new
Bentley Gardens as part of the Cameron University: Changing Lives campaign.
Cameron University President Cindy Ross accepted a $30,000 gift from Pauline Harrold Young and her
daughter, Phyllis A. Young during a special ceremony held today at the McMahon Center Library on
Cameron’s main campus. The pair contributed the donation to honor family members James “The Count”
Altman Harrold, Sr. and Margarett “Maggie” Elizabeth Updegrove Harrold.
“We are excited to accept Cameron’s first Area of Repose contribution,” Ross said. “As we continue to
prepare for Cameron’s Centennial Celebration, we are honored Pauline and Phyllis Young have chosen the
University as the place to pay tribute to their loved ones in a manner which will also serve as a place of
beauty for students and the community to enjoy for decades to come.”
Phyllis Young was born in Lawton. She retired in 2000 after spending 38 years with the Department of
State in Washington, D.C.
Pauline Young attended Cameron University in 1938 and 1939. Since then, she has continued to support
the University through contributions to KCCU. After marrying a military aviator, she moved frequently
throughout the United States and overseas. She returned to Lawton with her daughter in 2000.
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Young, ADD ONE
Her parents, James and Margarett Harrold, were early Lawton pioneers. Much of the Harrold’s history has
been chronicled in the “Oklahoma’s Centennial” articles published by The Lawton Constitution. James
Harrold owned and operated the Elk Pool Hall and Lawton Bus and Baggage Co. which served as Lawton’s
largest employer for many years. The couple raised three children Pauline Phyllis Harrold Young, Helen
June Harrold Tedder, and James Altman Harrold, Jr., who each attended Cameron University at some
time.
“The Bentley Gardens are a wonderful addition to Cameron,” said Phyllis Young. “The gardens provide a
unique way to honor our ancestors, especially our pioneer settlers of Lawton and Oklahoma. We hope
others who have pioneer ancestors will join us in utilizing the gardens to honor and acknowledge them.”
Locations within the Bentley Gardens will be designated as Areas of Repose. These areas of beauty and
tranquility will serve as places for reflection, study and relaxation. Contributions at the Area of Repose level
allow donors to make a significant commitment to the campaign and spread the payment of the donation
over a three-year period at a rate of $10,000 per year. To honor the gift, a plaque recognizing the
contribution will mark the Area of Repose in the Bentley Gardens.
More than $9.6 million have been contributed or pledged to Cameron’s expanded Changing Lives
campaign. The University’s Dig Deeper Challenge raised the campaign goal to $10 million.
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PR#07-180
Editors and Broadcasters: For more information, contact Amber McNeil, Director of
Media Relations, in the Office of Community Relations at 580.581.2611.