Arkansas Family Shares Mother's Love for Travel with Students

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Libby Finch loved to travel, and she organized and conducted trips to Europe during the 1950s and 1960s for college students, many of whom were attending the University of Arkansas. Now, students at the university will have a new opportunity to gain insight and experience through a study abroad travel award that memorializes Mrs. Finch.

 Curtis Finch Jr., Les Finch, and their wives Jackye and Jerrie of Little Rock have made a $250,000 gift to establish an endowed travel award to honor their mother through the Libby Finch Study Abroad Award in the Honors College. This will be matched by an additional $250,000 available through the Matching Gift Program, which provides funds for endowments that show promise for enhancing economic competitiveness in Arkansas and for the Honors College.

 UA Chancellor John White said, “It is critically important that today’s students have a study abroad experience to prepare them for tomorrow’s global opportunities and to develop a worldview. Expanding student’s cultural perspective is a critical part of a well-rounded college experience. The Finches, through this gift, have demonstrated a commitment to enhancing University of Arkansas student experience while memorializing a beloved family member. We are grateful to them for their generosity.”

 Libby Finch traveled all over the world during her long life. She was on the Arkansas Arts Center’s trip to China, one of the first groups allowed to travel there, in 1975. Curtis Finch, Jr. went on one of her student trips in 1953, and Les Finch went on two of them.  

 “Mother traveled everywhere, but I think that she had more fun and enjoyed the thrill of seeing college students experience their first travel to Europe more than anything,” said Curtis Finch Jr. “In the early days she went by ship and then had a bus take them all over Europe; she was usually gone about two months. She had two rules: 'When I tell you the bus leaves at nine, be on it or you will have to catch up on your own,’ and 'When we get home there will be some things that will happen which we will want to keep to ourselves.’ Of course she always told me all the funny things that happened when I picked her up at the train station.” 

 The Libby Finch Study Abroad Award in the Honors College will be available to Honors College students with preference given to students who would not otherwise be able to participate in study abroad opportunities without financial support and plan to be engaged in semester-long or year-long study abroad in accredited programs in Europe and the United Kingdom. The number of students benefiting from the Libby Finch Study Abroad Award in the Honors College may vary depending on need and opportunity.

 The Finches’ gift counts toward the campaign-within-a-campaign to raise $300 million for academic purposes to match the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation’s $300 million gift. The $300 Million Challenge must raise funds between Jan. 1, 2002, and June 30, 2005, the end of the Campaign. The Challenge total stands at $259 million, and the overall Campaign total stands at $889 million as of Feb. 28, 2005.