UA PROFESSOR EMERITUS CREATES STUDY ABROAD ENDOWMENT
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — University of Arkansas Professor Emeritus Gerard Halpern, of West Palm Beach, Fla., has made a $200,000 gift commitment to create a study abroad endowment in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.
The Gerard Halpern Study Abroad Endowment will provide financial assistance to students in the Walton College whom are pursuing study abroad opportunities. Halpern is funding a portion of the gift through a charitable gift annuity; the remainder will come in the form of a bequest from his living trust.
UA Chancellor John A. White said, "We are thrilled that a professor emeritus has chosen to establish this important endowment in the very college where he taught for many years. Providing an opportunity for students to study abroad, is a gift to broaden their cultural awareness. It takes classroom learning to another level, and Professor Halpern knows how valuable such international experiences can be."
Halpern is a 1965 M.B.A. graduate of Louisiana State University and a 1949 L.L.B. graduate of the Brooklyn Law School of St. Lawrence University. He was a professor in the Department of Accounting of the Walton College where he taught business law for 20 years and headed the business law section for 17 years. He directed the European study abroad program for the College for a year. He served as president and secretary/treasurer of the South Atlantic Region Business Law Association. He served in leadership posts for many professional, academic and civic organizations including the Southern Business Law Association and the American Business Law Associations, Inc., and for Lifestyles, Inc. Halpern retired from the University of Arkansas in 1988.
Halpern said, "If you spend more than 20 years at a place and make a good living, then I believe you ought to do something in return. I felt this was my chance to give something back to the University of Arkansas. I don’t have kids, but have taken great pleasure in meeting former students who have found their way into meaningful careers. It’s special when they thank me for teaching them something and making a difference in their education. I also feel that you don’t want to leave this life without leaving something behind."
The Halpern Study Abroad Endowment will provide students the opportunity to study global business first hand. The Walton College offers course credit for programs in China, Japan, Greece, France and Spain, as well as a NAFTA course in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and in Monterrey, Mexico. Students studying abroad examine why and how companies engage in international business, the effects companies have on both their home and host countries and the policies that influence market behavior. These intensive studies reward students with cultural experiences beyond the classroom.
"I chose to support the College’s study abroad program because I feel it’s a good international program. I was born in Europe and feel that it is important for students to obtain a global view. Students learn a lot and begin to see things from a new point of view, which is important to a well-rounded education," Halpern said.
Walton College Dean Doyle Williams said, "We’d like to thank Professor Halpern for this generous gift. Study abroad is a great way for students to gain valuable insights about how to operate in a global economy. It opens up a world of possibility for students as they experience the differences and similarities of other countries and cultures. Study abroad has become an indispensable component for many areas of study at the University and particularly to the Walton College."
While Halpern’s relationship to Walton College goes back many years, his relationship with Dean Doyle Williams goes back even further. Halpern said he was a student at LSU pursuing his master’s degree at the same time that Williams was working toward his Ph.D. "Whenever I had an accounting question I’d ask Doyle for the answer. Our graduate teaching assistant 'cubby holes’ were close together," Halpern recalled.
Halpern’s gift is counted toward the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century $900 million goal. The Campaign is a seven-year effort to raise significant gifts from private sources for the University of Arkansas. Campaign funds are being used to help the University achieve its vision. Campaign funds are being raised for six critical areas of need: endowed faculty positions, scholarship funds, academic programs, University Libraries, construction of new academic facilities and annual giving.
The Walton College goal for the Campaign is to raise $100 million by June 30, 2005. Between July 1, 1998, and April 12, 2002, the College has raised $75 million.
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