JACKSONVILLE COUPLE ESTABLISH $2.4 MILLION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AT UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Building on a lifetime of commitment to the University of Arkansas, two UA alumni have announced their latest contribution to the University--$2.4 million to establish the Kenneth Pat and Ruth Wilson Chancellor’s Scholars Program.

"The University of Arkansas has meant a great deal to our family," Kenneth Pat Wilson of Jacksonville said. "We see the Chancellor’s Scholars Program as a way to help other students enjoy and benefit from the rich academic experience the University offers."

The Wilsons have pledged to give the University $400,000 for Chancellor’s Scholarships. Of that amount, $160,000 will provide a permanent endowment for the Kenneth Pat and Ruth Wilson Chancellor’s Scholars Program Endowment Fund. The remaining $240,000 will fund six Chancellor’s Scholars from the Jacksonville area for five years.

The Wilsons also have announced that a $2 million gift will be added to the endowment from their estates. Once it is fully endowed, the Wilson Scholars Program will fund 14 Chancellor’s Scholars each year.

"The Wilson Chancellor’s Scholars will enable the University to compete effectively with the best colleges and universities in America for Arkansas’ best high school students," UA Chancellor John A. White said.

UA Chancellor’s Scholarships are high-prestige awards that cover the cost of tuition and fees, as well as room and board, for some of the most academically talented students in the state and nation. The scholarships are renewable for up to five years.

"The Chancellor’s Scholarship Program is the cornerstone of the University’s drive to emerge as a nationally respected research university," White said. "We are grateful to the Wilsons for sharing in this vision and for their past generosity to the University of Arkansas."

Over the years, the Wilsons have given not only their financial resources but also their time for the betterment of the University.

Despite the demands of his position as chairman of First Jacksonville Bank and Trust and numerous business and civic duties, Mr. Wilson always found time for his alma mater. His volunteer efforts include service on the University’s National Development Council, as a charter member of the Chancellor’s Society and as a member of the Walton College of Business Administration Dean’s Executive Advisory Board.

"Kenneth Pat Wilson has a long history of volunteer leadership and generosity to the University," said G. David Gearhart, vice chancellor for University advancement. "He and Ruth have supported a multitude of programs through the years that have helped this institution achieve academic excellence.

"The Wilsons also have been key benefactors to the Razorback Foundation and have supported Razorback athletics for many years," Gearhart added.

The Wilsons’ commitment to the University stretches back more than five decades to when they came here as students. A Phi Beta Kappa, Mrs. Wilson graduated in 1941. Her husband received his bachelor’s in business administration in 1947. That commitment deepened when all three of their children came to the University. Now, several of their nine grandchildren have also come to the University of Arkansas.

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