University Of Arkansas Announces Leadership Team For Campaign For 21st Century

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Five prominent Arkansans have agreed to serve in volunteer leadership posts for the University of Arkansas’ Campaign for the 21^st Century, a major fundraising drive to be launched next year, UA Chancellor John A. White announced today.

Serving as campaign co-chairs are

• Rob Walton, a 1966 University of Arkansas graduate and chairman of the board of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville.
• Tommy Boyer, a 1964 UA graduate and owner and chief executive officer of Micro Images, Amarillo, Texas.
• Jim Walton, a 1971 UA graduate and chairman and chief executive officer of Arvest Bank Group Inc., Bentonville.
• Frank Broyles, UA men’s athletic director and former head football coach.

• Johnelle Hunt, corporate secretary of J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., Lowell.

"We’ve been overwhelmed by the willingness of these very special alumni and friends to devote their time, energy, wisdom and resources in leading our forthcoming campaign," White said. "We know they are extremely busy in their lives and careers, and we are flattered that they want to help generate the private gift support needed to fuel our vision of emerging as a nationally competitive, student-centered research university serving Arkansas and the world."

G. David Gearhart, vice chancellor for University advancement, said, "We are deeply grateful to Rob Walton, Tommy Boyer, Jim Walton, Frank Broyles and Johnelle Hunt for their high level of interest in seeing great things happen at the University of Arkansas. Their commitment to the University and its Campaign for the 21^st Century will pay off in more student scholarships, better faculty resources, stronger academic programs and enhanced facilities for the state’s flagship university."

The University of Arkansas’ Campaign for the 21^st Century will be the University’s second institution-wide, fund-raising campaign. The previous campaign, which ran from 1989 to 1996, raised approximately $175 million.

"The reason for the new campaign is quite simple," White said. "The economic battles in the 21^st Century will be won by states having the smartest people, not the cheapest labor pools. More and more states are investing greater resources in their research universities, because they understand that having a top-tier public research university leads to higher living standards for their citizens.

"States that will prosper in the 21st century," White added, "are those that nurture knowledge-based and high-tech business and industry while creating a culture and quality of life that attracts and holds on to highly talented people. A world-class research university is an essential ingredient in that recipe for prosperity.

"To build the nationally competitive university we envision, we need to supplement our basic operating revenues, derived from state appropriations and tuition revenues, with private gift support," White continued. "It is private gift support that will provide the margin of excellence for attracting and retaining excellent students and faculty and creating the environment in which they can thrive. The best way to dramatically increase private gift support is through an intensive fundraising campaign.

"And the best way to ensure a successful campaign is to enlist the best volunteer leadership you can find," White added. "I doubt that any American university can top the

leadership team we’ve been able to assemble with Rob Walton, Tommy Boyer, Jim Walton, Frank Broyles and Johnelle Hunt. We are delighted they stepped up to help the University of Arkansas move to the next level."

The Campaign for the 21^st Century has been in the planning stages since mid-1998. Since that time, Rob Walton has been serving as presiding campaign co-chair, helping to recruit the campaign steering committee and working with White and Gearhart to plan the campaign. Walton will step down as presiding co-chair on June 30, but will remain as a campaign co-chair for the duration of the campaign.

Johnelle Hunt will serve as campaign treasurer for the entire campaign.

Tommy Boyer will take over as presiding co-chair on July 1 and remain as such until June 30, 2002.

Jim Walton will become presiding co-chair on July 1, 2002, and continue until June 30, 2003.

Frank Broyles will become the final presiding co-chair on July 1, 2003, and remain as such until the campaign ends on July 1, 2004.

Currently, the campaign leaders are recruiting a campaign steering committee of prominent alumni and friends who also will provide leadership by chairing and serving on campaign committees, attracting major gifts from their circles of acquaintances, and leading by example by making gifts from their own resources.

After the recruitment effort and planning phase are completed, the campaign will be publicly launched within the next 18 months.

Rob Walton received a B.S. in accounting from the University of Arkansas in 1966 and a law degree from Columbia University in 1969. He has been a member of the University’s National Development Council and a charter member of both the Chancellor’s Society and the Towers of Old Main.

Johnelle Hunt is a charter member of the Chancellor’s Society. She serves on the boards of directors for the UAMS Foundation and the Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute. She is the founding chairman of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the United Way for Washington County United Way. She served as founding honorary chairperson for the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Ozark Race for the Cure. She has also served as a commissioner for the Arkansas Department of Economic Development.

Tommy Boyer earned a B.S. in business administration from the U of A in 1964. As an undergraduate, he was an All-American in basketball. He is a past member of the National Development Council and the University of Arkansas Foundation Board of Directors. Currently, he is a member of the Sam M. Walton College of Business Administration Dean’s Executive Advisory Board, the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Selection Committee, the Chancellor’s Society and the Towers of Old Main. He was honored this spring as the "Entrepreneur of the Year" by the Walton College as well as by the national Beta Gamma Sigma organization. He is often a guest lecturer on campus.

Jim Walton graduated from the University in 1971 with a B.S. in business administration. He has long been associated with the Arkansas Council on Economic Education, for which he is currently treasurer. In addition to his Arvest responsibilities, he is chairman of the board of Essick Air Products, a manufacturer of air coolers and dryers. He also is chairman of the board of Community Publishers Inc., of Bentonville. He serves on the Walton College Dean’s Executive Advisory Board and is a member of the Chancellor’s Society and the Towers of Old Main.

Frank Broyles has served the University of Arkansas for 42 years. He came to the U of A in 1958 as head football coach, won the national championship in 1964 and became the athletic director in 1974. He was instrumental in the success of the University’s Campaign for Books to update the library and in the renovation of Old Main. Over his career, he has raised more than $175 million for athletic facilities at the University.