INSIDE
1
Professorship Spotlight
6
Donor Spotlight
8
Program Spotlight
Spring 2009
A Leading American University with International Reach
Leichhardt Endowed Professorship in
Horticulture
Steve and Janet Tolopka
WKU and the Housing Authority of
Bowling Green
10 Scholarship Spotlight
Charles M. Anderson Public
Broadcasting Fellowship
Newsletter of the Campaign for Western Kentucky University
Professorship Honors
Life and Career of Local Horticulturist
Mitchell Leichhardt
A new professorship at Western Kentucky University will
honor the career of Mitchell Leichhardt, a lifelong landscape
architect, horticulturist, and businessman, whose dedication
to the business has spanned nearly seven decades.
The $1 million Leichhardt Endowed Professorship in
Horticulture was established through a $500,000 private gift,
which will be matched, dollar-for-dollar by the
Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Regional University
Excellence Trust Fund.
Leichhardt began his career at the age of 16, when he got
a part-time job at Deemer Floral Company, which was close to
his home. “At that time, the operation had a large number of
greenhouses and produced most of its flowers on site, including their propagation. From this opportunity I was exposed at
an early age to a wide variety of plant experiences, from the
start of cuttings through their life cycle and final harvesting.“
After his service in World War II, Leichhardt re-entered
WKU and, shortly thereafter, he and his friend, Sonny Barr,
decided there was an opportunity in Bowling Green for a
landscape business. Leichhardt then took advantage of all of
the courses WKU offered in horticulture and agriculture.
Several years later, Barr sold his business interest to J. Lewie
Harman, who became a silent partner with Leichhardt. “We
Continued on Page 4.
Dear Friends of WKU,
In September 2007, WKU publicly announced the New Century of Spirit Campaign, a $200 million comprehensive campaign designed to support WKU’s vision to be a leading American university with international reach. Having quietly begun in the summer of 2005, the New Century of Spirit
Campaign is now at its calendar midpoint.
To date, a total of 32,702 donors have given or pledged almost $140 million to support the people, places, and programs that support WKU’s vision. That translates into nearly $18 million in annual cash support, with more than 1,900 individuals giving $1,000 or more each year. WKU has also celebrated the establishment of five new endowed professorships, and 182 new endowed scholarships
Thomas S. Hiles,
have been created.
Vice President for
Institutional Advancement
On page 15 of this newsletter, WKU recognizes the Cupola Society—alumni and friends who
give faithfully, at all levels, each and every year. In fact, there are nearly 1,900 donors who have given every year for 10 years,
close to 900 who have given for 20 years, and 448 who have given for 30 years. An astonishing 22 donors have even given each
year for the past 40 years, and two donors have contributed each year for half a century! So for that, we say thank you. Thank
you for making WKU a consistent and significant part of your personal philanthropy.
Thank you for your continued support and friendship. Your gifts mean that students can access higher education at WKU
in record numbers. Your support means that our faculty have access to increased funds for travel, research, and teacher. Your support means enhanced educational programming and better facilities. In short, your gifts are making a tangible difference at WKU.
Sincerely,
Don Greulich Named WKU’s
Philanthropist of the Year
Donald J. Greulich (’72) of Louisville was recently honored as Western Kentucky University’s 2008 Philanthropist
of the Year at the National Philanthropy Day luncheon in
Lexington.
Greulich, president of Kerr-Greulich Engineers, is an
avid supporter of the Engineering Department and is a
member of the Engineering Executive Advisory board. He
and his wife, Jennifer (’71) created the WKU Engineering
Department’s newest fully endowed chair—the Donald J.
and Jennifer W. Greulich chair in Robotics and Automation
Engineering—in 2008.
The Greulichs also established the Kerr-Greulich Fund
for Excellence in the Department of Engineering in March
2001. Don Greulich also volunteers through memberships on
the WKU Foundation Board of Trustees, Board of Advisors,
and the Campaign Cabinet.
He was honored as the WKU Board of Advisors‘
Volunteer of the Year at the 2007 Summit Awards and the
WKU Foundation Board of Trustees’ Volunteer of the Year at
Page 2
Don Greulich receives his award with his wife, Jennifer.
the 2004 Summit Awards. The Greulichs also created an
endowment at St. Xavier School in Louisville and have supported WKU’s Clinical Education Complex and other programs at WKU.
Previous recipients of the WKU Philanthropist of the
Year are Suzanne Vitale, Jerry Baker, Gordon Ford, Lowell
Guthrie, Bud Layne, Leon Page, Don Vitale, and Raymond
and Hattie Preston and the Preston Family Foundation.
Newsletter of the Campaign for Western Kentucky University
PEOPLE
CURRENT
TOTAL
2012
GOAL
$42.09M
$75M
Highly credentialed faculty and exceptional students
PLACES
$26.66M
$25M
Campus capital enhancements
PROGRAMS
$71.55M
$100M
Academic and programmatic excellence funds
TOTALS
$140.30M
$200M
(as of 3/31/09)
Kenny Perry
Perry Gift Will Support Golf Program
He’s an accurate driver off
of the tee box and a member of
the PGA tour. He also started
and operates a public 18-hole
golf course, and he is a significant donor to WKU.
Kenny Perry played golf at
WKU from 1979-1982 and was
inducted into WKU’s Hall of
Distinguished Alumni in 2007.
As a participant on the 2008
Ryder Cup Team, he contributed
$90,000 to WKU to support the
Play Golf America University
program. A total of $1.17 million
went to schools in general for the
program, as a part of the 2008
Ryder Cup Outreach Program.
Play Golf America is
designed to teach and engage
students in golf through PGA
professional instruction and
other golf programs. The donation goes to teach WKU students
golf by PGA professionals and
Spring 2009
encourages them to play the
game of golf.
Each team member was
given the same amount to donate
to the college or university of
their choice. While some golfers
distributed the money to a few
different colleges/universities,
Perry designated the entire
amount to WKU.
Perry’s most recent achievements include a first-place finish
in the FBR Open. This was the
13th victory of his PGA tour
career. Perry also finished second in the 2009 Masters
Tournament, one of the top four
golf tournaments in the world.
He was named the winner of the
Golf Writers Association of
America’s 2002 Charles Bartlett
Award, which is awarded to a
professional golfer for his
unselfish contributions to the
betterment of society
Page 3
PROFESSORSHIP SPOTLIGHT
Leichhardt Professorship in Horticulture
Continued from page 1
“
Mitchell Leichhardt is regionally
and nationally recognized as one
of the leaders in the horticulture
industry.
”
— Dr. Martin Stone
Leichhardt Professorship in Horticulture
Martin Stone with several of his Horticulture students
plants has improved through tissue culture and rooting hormones, which allow us to have exotic material at reasonable
costs. Tillage, cultivation and planting have also progressed
from the mule and plow to machinery, such as tillers and
large mechanical tree movers. Finally, production has largely
progressed from the field to containers that enable us to plant
over a much longer period of the year.”
Leichhardt hopes that this professorship will support
acquired more land and started producing a wide variety of
nursery stock in several locations, finally locating on a hundred acres of land a few miles southwest of Bowling Green,
where we grew stock primarily for the local and Louisville
market for more than 30 years,” he said.
Leichhardt has served as president and board member
for the Kentucky Nurserymen’s Association (now the
Kentucky Nursery and Landscape Association) and was a
registered landscape architect with the Kentucky Landscape
Architects. He currently serves as proprietor of Landscape
Nursery Supply LLC, a small business that supplies quality
landscape material to landscapers, contractors, and retail
walk-in traffic. He received his bachelor’s degree from WKU
in 1970.
Leichhardt has seen many changes to the business over
the years. “Due to climate change, the selection of plant
material is much wider, as we are now able to grow many
plants that were once considered not hardy enough for this
region. These include crape myrtles and many varieties of
broad-leaved evergreen,” he explained. “Transportation has
also improved greatly, through interstates and trucking facilities, with regular deliveries of material now available from
Florida, the South, and the Pacific Northwest. Propagation of
and encourage future generations of horticulturalists. “It is
my hope that WKU will be able to attract and keep talented
instructors who will inspire, equip, and attract students
interested in horticulture, so that this vocation, which has
given me so much fulfillment, will continue to thrive and
flourish for future generations.”
Dr. Blaine Ferrell, dean of WKU’s Ogden College of
Science and Engineering, said that Horticulture is a growth
area in the Department of Agriculture. “The Leichhardt
Professorship in Horticulture has allowed us to retain an excellent horticulturist, Martin Stone, who is educating the next
generation of horticulturists and engaging our students in
excellent research,” he said. “This professorship is a very fitting tribute to Mitchell Leichardt, who is himself an innovative horticulturist. The Ogden College of Science and
Engineering is very appreciative of this gift. It sends a message of strong outside support for what we are doing and
provides us with resources necessary for providing a unique
and excellent education for our students.”
Dr. Martin Stone, who is the director of WKU’s
Horticulture Program, will serve as the first Leichhardt
Professor. “Mitchell Leichhardt is regionally and nationally
recognized as one of the leaders in the horticulture industry,” he said. “We are fortunate to have had him reside and
Page 4
Newsletter of the Campaign for Western Kentucky University
About Dr. Martin Stone
practice his profession in our area as a nurseryman and a
landscape architect. This endowment is not only fitting,
but deserving for his contribution to the profession. It is
an honor to be the first holder of such a distinguished
position named for such a distinguished man.
“The Leichhardt Professorship in Horticulture will bring
prestige, recognition, and greatly needed resources to our
growing Horticulture Program in the Department of
Agriculture,” Stone continued. “It will allow WKU’s program in Landscape Horticulture to prepare students as
landscape professionals, which will improve both their
status and visibility in the industry.”
Stone said the endowed professorship could not have
come at a more opportune moment, as the field of Public
Horticulture has become the newest and hottest field in
Horticulture. “With its connection to the nearby Baker
Arboretum, our undergraduate and graduate students will
be poised to assume leadership roles in public gardens,
arboreta, and in the landscape industry,” he said.
The Leichhardt Endowed Professor will be the vital and
visible link between the activities of the Baker Arboretum
and the activities in horticulture on campus, Stone said.
When the garden becomes public, the Leichhardt Professor
will be its director, creating a synergism between the two
that will be unique to the state and region.
“The Leichhardt Endowed Professor will have a nationally recognized, highly visible profile in both Landscape
and Public Horticulture, which will be equal to or greater
than any other such position in the region,” Stone said.
“The ultimate benefit will be to the graduates of the program who will be linked to it throughout their professional lives. The Ogden College of Science and Engineering as
a whole and the Department of Agriculture in particular
will benefit from the endowment, as it raises the level of
teaching and research within them. Success begets success, and I expect great things to come from such a generous endowment. Beyond the University's borders in the
greater Bowling Green community, its impact will be felt.
First, with the accessibility of the Baker Arboretum as a
learning center for horticulture and the environment and
secondly, as the graduates of the program begin to create
a center of gravity for Horticulture around this area.”
Spring 2009
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Martin Stone was guided away from biology and into horticulture at Oklahoma
State University by a suggestion from his father. He loved
the subject and became a self-proclaimed “plant nerd.”
After a earning a B.S. in Horticulture, Stone managed a
large rose and crepe myrtle nursery in east Texas and then
decided to return to OSU to pursue a graduate degree in
Botany. A fortunate seating accident in class allowed him to
meet his future wife, a botanist.
Stone earned a Ph.D. at Texas A&M in Soil and Crop
Sciences, after which time he served as Senior Scientist Plant
Biology at Sandoz Corporation in the Bay Area of California.
He later managed his own nursery in Oklahoma, which
grew to include landscape design, construction, and maintenance. Stone has been assistant professor at WKU for the
past six years, teaching ornamental horticulture and plant
propagation. He writes regularly and is a contributing editor
for Kentucky Gardener. His family’s small nearby farm grows
more than 50 cultivars of roses mixed into the landscape.
They also grow cut flowers and unusual perennials and
herbs for sale at the Southern Kentucky Farmer’s Market, the
only “producer only” market in south central Kentucky.
Martin’s wife, Joleen, is the curator of the butterfly
house at Lost River Cave in Bowling Green. They have two
daughters: Laramie, 16, and Savannah, 14.
Page 5
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
Steve and Janet Tolopka
When Steve and Janet Tolopka attended WKU, they
were both in the Big Red Marching Band, in which where
Steve played tenor sax and Janet played alto sax. However,
the way Steve likes to tell it, Janet Segda was a waitress in
a bar. She came to his table and said “What’ll you have,
boys?” He pulled her on his lap and said, “You’ll do fine!”
Each fall before school began, the band members
showed up about a week early to begin preparing the
shows for the upcoming football season. As a reward, the
University treated the band to dinner. For their sophomore
year, it was decided that each section should put on a skit
at the dinner. In the saxophone skit, Janet was the waitress
in a cowboy bar, the guys were playing poker and "what'll
you have, boys?" was her line in the skit.
She didn’t even know Steve, even though it was their
second year in band, and she would have preferred to sit in
the other guy’s lap because she thought he was cuter. But
Steve ended up being the chosen lap for the skit, and they
became a couple, marching together in the band from that
point forward.
Today Steve serves as senior principal engineer for
Intel Corporation in Hillsboro, Oregon, while Janet serves
as associate senior management analyst for the Metro, a
regional city-county government in Portland, Oregon.
However, when Steve and Janet left WKU, they didn’t
Page 6
leave the band behind. Today, music is still a big part of their
lives. “We have so many great memories from the various
WKU band programs – concert band, jazz band, and especially marching band,” Steve said. “Playing with the bands
let us make friends, have fun, be creative, and work hard
with other people to create something worthwhile. And of
course, it’s part of how we met. Music remains a big part of
our lives. We still play in two all-adult marching bands, a
wind band, a jazz band, and a horn band that plays a little
funk, a little soul, and a heavy dose of rock ‘n’ roll. In fact,
one of our bands, the Get A Life Marching Band, had the
great honor of being Oregon’s representative in the 2009
Presidential Inaugural Parade. We were part of a core team
of four who made this trip of a life time possible.”
The Tolopkas have also given back to support important areas at WKU. Their recent $125,000 gift included
$50,000 in support of the Big Red Marching Band. “The gift
from the Tolopkas is a tremendous salute to the students
who make up the Big Red Marching Band,” said David Lee,
dean of the Potter College of Arts & Letters. “Their gift will
help to assure that our students will have the scholarships,
instruments, and travel support to put exciting shows on
the field. Being in the Big Red Marching Band was a great
experience for Janet and Steve, and their generosity will
help to assure that our students will continue to have that
Newsletter of the Campaign for Western Kentucky University
same great experience.”
A total of $75,000 from their gift will also create the
Stephen and Janet Tolopka Endowment for Women in
Science and Engineering. This endowment will support priorities for the WISE (Women in Science and Engineering)
program at WKU. According to Dr. Blaine Ferrell, dean of the
Ogden College of Science and Engineering, WISE has a mission to recruit, retain, and support women in their endeavors
to pursue careers in math, science, and engineering and to
educate middle and high school girls about the impact and
the excitement of these careers as well as their ability to pursue such careers. Priorities for the endowment will be determined by WISE faculty and the dean and could include promotion of Girls in Science Day at WKU, scholarships for
girls to summer science camps, and support for travel for
female faculty and undergraduate and graduate women
who are conducting science research.
Steve said he and Janet were pleased to support this program. “In 2003 I heard a lecture by Jane Margolis and Alan
Fischer based on their book Unlocking the Clubhouse about
the work they had done to understand why women left the
computer science program at a substantially higher rate than
men,” he explained. “It was clear that women who were
interested in technology faced many more obstacles and
received less encouragement than their male counterparts.
Numerous jaw-dropping stories from colleagues about the
obstacles they continue to face in advancing their careers
cemented a desire to work for change. The importance of
overcoming gender schemas is being magnified by the crisis
Janet and Steve Tollopka
Spring 2009
Steve and Janet Tollopka
that the U.S. faces in STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines. Though the biological sciences are keeping pace, the number of students
studying computer science and engineering in college is not
sufficient to meet the nation’s strategic needs.”
Janet comes to this from a different perspective. “I find
it disappointing that very few women are encouraged to
pursue careers in scientific fields and that the fields seem to
be exclusively oriented to pique the interest of men while
offering little to entice women,” she said. “In fact, schools
need to start much, much earlier to catch girls while they
still have lots of self-confidence and get them interested in
science. Incorporating subject matter that has typically
appealed to boys with new subject matter designed to
appeal to girls would enrich and broaden the scope of what
students learn.”
Steve says it is important for alumni of WKU to give
back to the institution. “Education is a great equalizer,
allowing each person to take full advantage of his or her talents to make a difference to the world and themselves,” he
said. “Each of us has been helped and nurtured in our lives
and careers by countless others, including many who have
touched our lives in ways we may not even recognize. The
scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships that carried us
through college and grad school created opportunities that
colored who we are. It seems only right that we should reach
back and give others those same opportunities.”
Page 7
PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
Reaching Out To Lift Up:
WKU and the Housing Authority of Bowling Green
and the HABG created a thorough course for students who
statistically had no ability to succeed educationally based
on their current situation. The Intensive Clinic for the
Advancement of Knowledge (ICAN) was established,
along with the Complementary Learning After-School
Program (ICAN2) that has since developed. Petty said ICAN2 is an intervention study based on
linking theory of complementary learning with social setting theory and management. “The simple hypothesis is
that students who receive specialized academic and social
support through complementary learning structures
demonstrate more success academically and improved attitudes toward lifelong learning and community/social
involvement,” she said.
The after school and summer programs of the HABG
provide wonderful opportunities to enrich, provide extra
practice, and re-teach as needed to help students grow
stronger in their literacy skills and strategies, Petty said.
“Growth in reading and literacy skills is important because
A concerned mother of a struggling sixth grade student
approached someone for help. Her son had failed and
would have to repeat the sixth grade. Abraham Williams,
executive director of the Housing Authority of Bowling
Green (HABG) stepped in and brought together five people
to talk to the boy’s principal about how to get help for the
young man.
Dr. Pam Petty, associate professor of Literacy at WKU,
was in the group of five which proposed an intensive program that focused on all subject areas to try and bring the
young man up to speed. It would be a six-week, five-daysa-week, five-hours-a-day program. The principal accepted
the idea but would only allow it to happen if it was made
available to all the students who failed.
“I became involved because all of the students who
struggle in school typically struggle in reading,” Petty
explained. “As an associate professor of Literacy at WKU,
helping develop and implement programs to help literacy
learners is part of what I do.”
WKU’s College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Page 8
Newsletter of the Campaign for Western Kentucky University
all other school learning is dependent upon fluent reading
with comprehension,” she explained. “The ICAN2 program
provides four educationally focused academies to reduce
individual factors. These core components are WeeCan,
KidsCan, ICan and YouCan Lead. These programs work to
reduce the drop-out rate by enhancing academic achievement, behavior, and personal and social skills.”
Private support is making a difference for these programs and has been significant for their success. “Students
are getting extra support in reading, math and other areas,”
Petty said. “This may be the only homework and extra help
they get.” The Jessie Ball duPont Fund has made a $150,000
Commitment to support the innovative partnership
between WKU and the Housing Authority. This grant will
enhance the ICAN2 program in which WKU education
majors work directly with children to help them be successful in school. Sharon Greene, Senior Program Officer for the Jessie Ball
duPont Fund said, “The partnership between Western
Kentucky University and the HABG is a prime example of
the work that the Jessie Ball duPont Fund expects of its eligible research universities to bring the skills and expertise of
the university faculty and students to help address community needs ‘on the ground.’”
Greene visited WKU to meet with Petty, Williams, and
others involved in the program. She toured the classroom
facility where the ICAN2 Program takes. “I was impressed
by the commitment and positive energy all of the partners in
reaching their common goal of improving the lives of young
people who might not otherwise participate in high quality
after-school and other enrichment opportunities. The
trustees of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund were happy to invest
in this important partnership and to challenge the local community to invest as well.”
“
More than 150 WKU undergraduate and graduate students participate in ICAN2, providing testing and analysis,
curriculum guides and lesson plan development, one-onone and group activities facilitation, and more. All the while,
WKU students are experiencing maximum diversity among
the at-risk youth and their families who participate in the
initiative. Petty said, “The first year there were five students and
in subsequent years there were even more. The students are
all tested at the end of the six-week period, and so far every
single child who has participated has been passed to the
next grade.”
HABG Executive Director Abraham Williams said Petty
has been an inspiration to the children who live in and
around public housing. “Her enthusiasm, hard work and
knowledge of all the integrated ways of learning has been
brought to the Housing Authority of Bowling Green,” he
said. “No matter how large or how small the problem, Dr.
Petty will always find a way to resolve it. She has been a
blessing to all of us.”
The trustees of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund were happy to invest in this
important partnership and to challenge the local community to invest as well.
Sprimg 2009
”
— Sharon Greene
Senior Program Officer for the Jessie Ball duPont Fund
Page 9
SCHOLARSHIP SPOTLIGHT
Anderson Fellowship
Benefits Students and Public Broadcasting
Lindsey Peters
Charles Anderson understands that paid experience is
one of the greatest gifts a student can receive when pursuing
a desired career. Through internships and fellowships, students can become acquainted with the environment in
which they will one day work. Therefore, Anderson, an
active broadcasting entrepreneur and consultant, and his
wife, Faye, recently made a significant gift to create the
Charles M. Anderson Public Broadcasting Fellowship. The
fellowship provides the recipient with tuition costs, pays an
hourly wage, and provides a cash stipend. In addition, the
student gains in-depth exposure to the professional environ-
Page 10
ment of WKU Public Broadcasting.
Charles Anderson remains active as a broadcasting
entrepreneur and consultant. He completed his higher education career in 2003 after serving for four years as the vice
chancellor for Information Technology and Outreach for the
University of Alabama System. In 1999, he retired from
WKU after a 31-year career as an administrator and faculty
member. Anderson was WKU’s first vice president for
Information Technology, heading up the initial networking
of the WKU campus, as well as the conceptualization and
planning for what is now Mass Media and Technology Hall.
Newsletter of the Campaign for Western Kentucky University
He led the establishment of
Western's public television station,
WKYU-TV, the four-station public
radio network, and the student
radio station (WWHR), as well as
the interactive television system
and the campus cable system. In
2002, he was awarded the status of
professor emeritus in Journalism
and Broadcasting at WKU. Faye
Anderson also spent 13 years working for WKU, serving as
Coordinator of Degree Certification
and athletic certification officer in
the Office of the Registrar.
Lindsay Peters, a May 2009
graduate was the first recipient of
the Anderson Fellowship. With a
major in Broadcast News and a
minor in Mathematics, she was
eager to take advantage of the opportunities that were available. “Without Dr. Anderson and his efforts, I wouldn't have
the solid education and experiences that supplemented it
that I am lucky enough to have now,” Peters said.
The recipient of the fellowship is not the only one who
benefits from the gift made by the Andersons. WKU receives
valuable human resources through additional staffing in the
areas of radio news and video production.
“Lindsay’s efforts within our public radio news department and public affairs department in television provided significant work effort in our daily operations,” said Jack Hanes,
WKU’s director of Educational Telecommunications. “Lindsay
was a great help to our professional staff in tracking down
information on stories used on the air in our daily operations.”
In addition to serving as an Anderson Fellow, Peters also
served as a producer and reporter for WKU News Channel
12, a news anchor and reporter the student radio station
WWHR, and at the news department of WLWT in Cincinnati
while she was at WKU.
“I have had the opportunity to work with many wellaccomplished reporters and other anchors, announcers, and
news directors at WKYU-FM and WKYU-PBS,” Peters
explained. “The one-on-one experience with these seasoned
journalists is giving me an edge when going into the real
Sprimg 2009
Charles and Faye Anderson
world.” After graduation, Peters will study abroad in Italy,
working alongside other journalism students. She will complete several projects based on Italian culture and issues.
“Financially, the Anderson Fellowship is giving me the
chance to study abroad,” she said. “The monetary award is
the only way I can afford to go to Italy, and there I will continue to learn more about the Broadcasting profession.”
“
I have had the opportunity to
work with many well-accomplished
reporters
and
other
anchors,
annoucers, and news directors at
WKYU-FM and WKYU-PBS.
”
— Lindsey Peters
Anderson Fellowship Recipient
Page 11
GIVING SPOTLIGHT
Armstrong Gift Will Support WKU Football Program
As Western Kentucky University prepares for its first
season of bowl eligibility, a gift from a Bowling Green couple will support continued enhancements to the HouchensL.T. Smith Stadium project.
According to Wood Selig, WKU’s director of Athletics,
Bob and Judy Armstrong recently made a $122,000 commitment in support of the project. “WKU athletics is very grateful for the beneficence of Bob and Judy Armstrong,” he said.
our fans and donors to provide the same championship effort
to help us sustain a national competitive intercollegiate athletic department. Many prime naming rights locations are
available within Houchens-Smith Stadium that will not only
recognize families or individuals in perpetuity but will also
allow WKU athletics to complete the financing for our most
aggressive stadium renovation and expansion project.”
“The Armstrongs have been philanthropic leaders for WKU
athletics for many years and have contributed greatly to the
overall national athletic success WKU continues to enjoy.”
Head Football Coach David Elson agreed. “As we continue our climb to the top of the 1-A mountain, gifts like this
one from Bob and Judy continue to energize our program,”
he said. “Words cannot describe the appreciation we as a program have for Bob and Judy's generosity and leadership.”
Bob Armstrong said he and his wife were pleased to
make this gift. “Fortunately or unfortunately, university academia is also measured by how well the football and/or basketball teams play and win,” he said. “Football needs more
opportunities to serve student-athletes who possibly would
not get an education without a 1-A program. Our coaches,
faculty, and administration all support this program to help
students in the university. We decided to help these coaches
and athletes in this endeavor.”
Judy Armstrong received her bachelor’s and master’s
degrees from WKU, and her son, Lane Jackson, is also an
alumnus. “The education Lane and I received gave us the
skills to be productive and more financially successful,” she
said. “It is my hope that our gift will provide the education
for students who, like me, would not have had the opportunity without financial scholarships.”
In appreciation for the Armstrongs’ generosity, WKU
will name the Offensive Coordinator’s Office in the new
facility in their honor, and it will name another Offensive
Assistant Coach's Office in memory of Bob Armstrong’s son
Butch Armstrong.
Selig said this gift will greatly enhance the Football program’s goals. “We ask a championship effort from our student-athletes and coaches every day,” he said. “We also ask
Page 12
Bob & Judy Armstrong
Newsletter of the Campaign for Western Kentucky University
GIVING SPOTLIGHT
Lead Gift from Laura Goad Turner Charitable Foundation
Key to New WKU Partnership with the Allen County School District
WKU President Gary Ransdell presents a token of appreciation to Katherine
Sikora, Laura Goad Turner Charitable Foundation board representative.
A $1.475 million gift from the Laura Goad Turner
Charitable Foundation will launch an important partnership
among Western Kentucky University, the Allen County
School District, and Allen County health and human service
organizations.
A total of $1.125 million of the gift will be used to create
the Laura G. Turner Service First Scholarship Fund at WKU,
while $350,000 will be used to create the Laura Goad Turner
Charitable Foundation SKyTeach Fund. A total of $250,000
of the gift for the SKyTeach Program will be matched by the
National Math and Science Initiative, providing $600,000 for
the SKyTeach Fund. This will offer a total impact of $1.725
million for WKU and the Allen County School District.
The Laura G. Turner Service First Scholarship Fund will
provide $5,000 scholarships to WKU students who are graduates of Allen County-Scottsville High School and who are
willing to be employed during the summer in a non-profit
organization that provides direct service in Allen County. As
part of the scholarship program, the Laura Goad Turner
Charitable Foundation will fund the summer salary. The
Laura Goad Turner Charitable Foundation SKyTeach Fund
will provide scholarships for Allen County students who are
interested in becoming science or mathematics teachers.
WKU President Gary Ransdell said that, through the
years, the Laura Goad Turner Charitable Foundation has
funded scholarship programs which have an empowering
effect on the students who have benefited from this support.
“Many of these students were the first in their families to go
to college,” he said. “Education has become a fundamental
tenet of the Foundation’s mission. The Laura G. Turner
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Service First Scholarship will encapsulate the Foundation’s
strong commitment to education, as well as emphasize a
commitment to help others through a work/study component with area-based non-profit organizations.
“We are truly grateful that the Laura Goad Turner
Charitable Foundation has chosen to support academic
excellence through mathematics, science, and service,”
Ransdell continued. “We particularly appreciate the strong
leadership of Laura Turner Dugas, who serves as the
Foundation’s chair, and the commitment of the
Foundation’s board to making higher education more accessible to youth in Allen County.”
The Laura Goad Turner Charitable Foundation, which
focuses its efforts on Scottsville and Allen County, was
established in 1989 in memory of Laura Goad Turner, the
wife of Cal Turner Sr., one of the founders of Dollar General
Corporation. The Turners’ oldest daughter, Laura Turner
Dugas, serves as chair of the Foundation.
“One of the very first commitments this Foundation
ever made was in support of a nursing scholarship, named
in honor of my mother, for Allen County students who
attend WKU,” said Dugas. “From that experience, we know
that the Allen County school system and WKU will be great
partners in bringing these two new scholarships to life.
Being a SkyTeach designated university is a great compliment to President Ransdell and to his team at WKU, and our
Foundation is delighted to help them meet the SkyTeach
match.
“The Laura G. Turner Service First Scholarship is something our Foundation’s board believes will create unique
learning opportunities for students beyond the classroom,”
Dugas continued. “The requirement that scholarship recipients work for an Allen County non-profit during the summer has the potential to produce some of the most meaningful experiences of their college careers. Helping young people get in touch with serving others is something my mother would have supported whole-heartedly.”
Page 13
PLANNED GIVING SPOTLIGHT
Reynolds Bequest Will Support Business Students
Future generations of students in the Gordon Ford
College of Business will benefit from the generosity of Ken
(’63) and Gretchen Reynolds.
“We wanted to give a little something back to the university that contributed and meant so much to us in our
early years and hopefully contribute to a few others in helping them reach their educational goals,” Ken Reynolds said.
The couple has made a provision in their estate plan that
will create an endowment in support of the Gordon Ford
College of Business. The gift will remain intact, while a portion of the investment returns will provide support for the
College in perpetuity. As it will be a flexible endowment, it
will support top initiatives as determined by the College’s
dean, allowing the funding designation to shift over time as
programmatic priorities change.
Ken’s experience at WKU started out nicely, and he had
some excellent professors. While at WKU, Ken met his wife,
Gretchen, took advantage of the athletic programs and
intramural sports, and was involved in fraternity life.
“I enjoyed the benefits of the social life and the overall
experience of maturing and being responsible for
myself,” Ken said.
After four and a half years of service in the
Marine Corps, Ken started out as a management
trainee in a large mortgage banking firm in North
Carolina. “It taught me the basics of residential
and commercial mortgage finance,” he said. “From
that point I was able to grow within the corporate
ladder to become president of a mortgage banking
subsidiary.” After a couple of corporate mergers,
Ken made the decision to start his own mortgage
banking company and was fortunate enough to have
huge success in his endeavor.
“WKU gave me a foundation to enter the
business world, which, through experience, I
had success in my business endeavors,” Ken
said. “I hope the gift will benefit some young
people as they are getting an education by
providing better equipment, professors and
environment in which they can succeed.”
Page 14
Gretchen and Ken (‘63) Reynolds
Newsletter of the Campaign for Western Kentucky University
ANNUAL GIVING SPOTLIGHT
Cupola Society Honors
WKU and President Gary Ransdell hosted the inaugural
Cupola Society Honors on April 25, 2008, to recognize and
thank long-time donors. Cupola Society Honors is a new
event that brings together those in the WKU family who
have made gifts to WKU for 15 or more consecutive years.
This impressive group of loyal supporters decided long ago
that giving to WKU is just what they do, often without even
being asked.
John Osborne, vice president of Campus Services and
Facilities, and Bryan Russell, director of Planning, Design
and Construction, were on hand to provide an update, take
questions, and have individual conversations with those in
attendance. Guests came away with the knowledge that
WKU will continue to maintain and improve the physical
beauty of its hilltop campus, while renovating and adding
state-of-the-art facilities.
Specific honorees at Cupola Society Honors included
those who have made gifts to WKU for more than 40 consecutive years and those who have recently reached milestone of 15, 20, and 25 years. Collectively, those in attendance have made gifts to WKU totaling more than 1,000
years. Even more impressive is that these donors have
made WKU a philanthropic priority for decades, without
ever missing a year. They are donors who are truly leading
the way into a new era of private support for WKU, and
their efforts should be emulated as WKU strives to become
a leading American university with international reach.
William Skaggs (right) presents a Cupola Society print to Ron Crisp,
in recognition of his 20 consecutive years of giving to WKU.
The honorees gathered for brunch on the 27th floor of
Pierce-Ford Tower, a recently renovated space offering
unparalleled views of the campus. Aside from being recognized for their loyalty, guests were also provided with an
inside look at the future of construction, renovations, and
other improvements at WKU.
Donald Smith, executive director of the WKU Alumni
Association, said, “Each of you was invited here today
because of your importance to WKU and the WKU family.
You are not only valued supporters; you are also wonderful
ambassadors for WKU. We wanted to say thank you, as well
as provide an opportunity for you to be personally updated
on important projects occurring at WKU.”
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Williams Skaggs (right) presents a Cupola Society print to Fred and Ruth Skaggs,
in recognition of their 20 years of consecutive giving to WKU.
Page 15
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Jim “Scotty” and Rita Scott
Home:
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Profession: Jim, Owner and President of The Club at Olde Stone;
Owner and CEO of Scotty’s
Rita, housewife and community volunteer
Family: Four children (Sharon Sears, Tony Scott, Angie Wagner, and
Brock Bodart) Eight grandchildren (Brenner, Brittany and
Chandler Sears; J.P. Scott; Justin and Drew Wagner;
Ella Grace and Rhodes Bodart.)
WKU Volunteer Positions:
Both Jim and Rita serve on the WKU Campaign Cabinet. Jim also serves on the
Board of Advisors. In 2000, Jim and Rita made a gift to WKU to establish the
Scott Center and James D. Scott Chair of Engineering.
The Scott Center is a way for the Civil Engineering faculty to engage students
in real engineering projects to help them prepare for a career as a practicing engineer. “We are very happy with the success
of the Civil Engineering program at WKU. Without the philanthropic support of the community, WKU friends and alumni,
these programs could not happen. Making this gift to Western was a highlight in our lives.”
Why I Am Involved at WKU:
“We continue to stay involved in WKU activities and serve on the boards because we believe WKU is vital to the growth and
welfare of the Bowling Green Community and to our state.”
Newsletter of the Campaign for Western Kentucky University
Contributing Writers:
Carol Cummings
Emily McGuire
William Skaggs
Carol Cummings, Editor
Clinton Lewis, Photographer
Additional Information can be
obtained by contacting:
Thomas S. Hiles, Vice President
for Institutional Advancement
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd. #11005
Bowling Green, KY 42101-1005
(270) 745-6208
1-888-WKU-ALUM
tom.hiles@wku.edu
www.wku.edu
Bowling Green, KY
42101
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