University Of Arkansas Endowment Reaches All-Time High: $244.8 Million

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The endowed fund holdings for the Fayetteville campus of the University of Arkansas have reached an all-time high of $244.8 million, as of June 30, 2000 - an increase of 11 percent over the $222.8 million reported one year earlier.

The total includes endowed funds of almost $67.4 million managed by the Fayetteville campus and $177.4 million managed by the University of Arkansas Foundation for the UA Fayetteville campus. The total also includes non-cash assets.

"The rapid growth of our endowment is key to realizing our goals for the University," said UA Chancellor John A. White. "With the aid of endowed faculty positions, we are able to retain and recruit top faculty. With endowed scholarships, we are able to continue to attract talented students and strengthen our graduate programs. While the state appropriation is dedicated to basic operating expenses, it is our endowment that increasingly provides the margin of excellence to fuel our emergence as a nationally competitive, student-centered research university."

Among the top 503 college and university endowments in the United States, the University of Arkansas and its foundation last year moved up 39 places in fiscal year 1999, from 202^nd to 163^rd. The rankings were reported in the Feb. 18 Chronicle of Higher Education.

As of June 30, 1999, the University of Arkansas and its foundation had an endowment with a market value of $222,838,000. That sum represented a 53.1 percent growth over the $145.5 million reported the previous year. This percentage increase ranked third among the 503 institutions." David Malone, executive director of the University of Arkansas Foundation, said,

"Even though the major reason for the endowment growth in 1999 was the $50 million gift ($48.2 million of that sum was invested in the endowment) from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation to what was later renamed the Sam M. Walton College of Business Administration, we are very pleased with this year’s endowment growth of 11 percent.

Malone added, "The endowment acts like a permanent savings account for the University to provide a perpetual source of income for such purposes as student scholarships, faculty chairs and academic programs."

On June 30, 2000, the University of Arkansas recorded the second best fund-raising year in its history, attracting $83.2 million in private gift support. The totals include actual dollars or gifts-in-kind received during the period July 1, 1999, through June 30, 2000, and exclude any pledges of gifts made during that time. The $83.2 million includes funds to two major areas: $48.3 raised for academic and academic support programs and $34.9 million from the Razorback Foundation, Inc., a private organization that supports men’s athletics.

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