FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas alumni Gary and Amy Norcross of Jacksonville, Florida, have created the Gary and Amy Norcross CARE Endowed Excellence Fund for the Office of Diversity and Community at the University of Arkansas. The fund will support academically accomplished and promising underrepresented Arkansas students who are enrolled in the Sam M. Walton College of Business and demonstrate financial need.

Gary Norcross’s original goal as a young man was to work on his family’s farm in Tyronza, southeast of Jonesboro, and he knew his success would be heightened if he attended the U of A and developed lasting relationships with others in the state. Norcross has “great memories” of his time in Fayetteville.

After graduating from the Walton College, Norcross went out into the working world to get a few months of experience and never looked back. He didn’t end up on the family farm, but today he is president and CEO of Fidelity National Information Services, a leading global provider of technology and services to the financial services industry, serving more than 14,000 clients in over 110 countries.

Amy Norcross is a journalism graduate of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. The couple, who met on campus, have made it a priority to focus their charitable giving on supporting those who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend college.

“Education makes a difference in breaking economic barriers,” said Gary Norcross. “Amy and I were fortunate because our parents could afford to give us a college education. Others may not have the same opportunity, so it’s important for us to do what we can to support them.”

The Gary and Amy Norcross CARE Endowed Excellence Fund will benefit Walton College students with demonstrated financial need and give close consideration to Arkansas students from the eastern part of the state and KIPP schools -- free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success. Approximately 90 percent of the income from CARE funds will fund scholarships, and the remainder will be used to meet costs associated with recruiting and retaining highly qualified CARE students.

“The University of Arkansas is very fortunate to have friends like Gary and Amy, who recognize the importance of helping very deserving but financially challenged Arkansas students achieve their educational aspirations,” said Charles Robinson, vice chancellor for diversity and community. “Gary and Amy are among the first to support the CARE scholarship, and I applaud their philanthropy, vision and leadership.”

Gary and Amy Norcross are both members of the Arkansas Alumni Association and the Chancellor’s Society and are recognized as Thoroughreds for their consecutive years of giving. Gary also serves on the Dean’s Executive Advisory Board of Walton College.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.