FAYETTEVILLE — Richard and Tamara Greene of Fayetteville have made a $1 million gift commitment to establish University of Arkansas Distinguished Doctoral Fellowships in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

The Richard E. Greene and Tamara D. Greene Distinguished Doctoral Fellowships and the Richard E. Greene and Tamara D. Greene Doctoral Fellowships will be used to attract highly capable, creative and qualified doctoral students to Walton College. This fellowship program is designed to benefit the finance department and the Garrison Financial Institute and preference will be given to graduate students majoring in finance. Their gift will be matched by $1 million through the Matching Gift Program to create a $2 million fellowship endowment, which will fund four fellowships.

UA Chancellor John A. White said: "Richard and Tamara Greene have supported many scholarship initiatives throughout the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century. The Chancellor’s Scholarship and the Honors College Honors Academy Fellows programs are recent examples of their support. Their investment in scholarships and fellowships improves dramatically our ability to attract and retain high ability students at the University of Arkansas. We are grateful for their continued generosity."

"There is a critical need nationwide for top doctoral students to graduate and fill teaching positions in business schools," said former Walton College Dean Doyle Z. Williams at the time the gift was made. "We are very grateful to the Greenes for this wonderful gift that will help support the Garrison Financial Institute and strengthen our Graduate School of Business and recruit talented doctoral students.

"The Greenes have been incredibly generous to the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century," said Vice Chancellor G. David Gearhart. "We are so appreciative of their repeated generosity and their loyal support."

Richard Greene, a 1976 UA graduate in business, said: "Tamara and I are very pleased to be able to participate in this ambitious and noble endeavor of raising the University of Arkansas to such high standards. We have a special interest in improving the opportunities for higher education in the state of Arkansas and to Arkansas families. We would also like to acknowledge the generosity of the Walton family and all the great Arkansas families and corporations that have made this extraordinary effort a reality. Also, special thanks to the leadership of Dr. John White, Dean Doyle Z Williams, Vice Chancellor David Gearhart, Harley Lewis and the entire Campaign staff for a job well done. The state of Arkansas as well as the entire region will benefit from the long term effects of the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century."

This gift counts toward the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century, which had recorded $1.046 billion in gifts and pledges against the $1 billion goal as of June 30, 2005, the end of the seven-year capital campaign.