FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Alumni Ben and Janet Hyneman of Jonesboro have supported the University of Arkansas in various capacities since they earned their degrees. Their recent gift commitment of $375,000 to the University Libraries will continue that tradition of support and benefit all students on campus through the establishment of the Janet and Ben Hyneman Leadership Endowment.

“Janet and Ben both serve on our Campaign Arkansas Steering Committee and are tremendous volunteers of ours,” said Chancellor Joe Steinmetz. “Our libraries add a critical educational component for our students and faculty, and we are deeply grateful to the Hynemans for supporting them with this gift.”  

“Janet and I are honored to be a part of Campaign Arkansas,” said Ben Hyneman. “We wanted to make this gift to the University Libraries because we are so impressed with the collections and programs offered there. A strong library system is so important to our university. By helping the libraries, we are helping all students.”

“I have learned so much from Dean Carolyn Allen about the University Libraries,” added Janet Hyneman, who is chairing the campaign committee specifically for the University Libraries. “It is the intellectual center of the campus and serves every student and faculty member at the University of Arkansas. Hopefully, this gift will help promote the wonderful resources available at the library.”

The Janet and Ben Hyneman Leadership Endowment will formalize the University Libraries’ arts and lecture series and provide students, faculty and community visitors an environment of cultural and artistic enrichment. In the past, this series has included collaboration with other community organizations and institutions, including the Walton Arts Center, the Arkansas Archeological Survey, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the State House Museum.

Participants in the series will be selected annually from prominent and distinguished alumni and friends of the university and will be brought to campus to participate in academic and social programs that promote meaningful interactions with the campus community.

“The Hynemans’ endowment to support the art and lecture series validates its importance in the intellectual and cultural life of campus,” said Dean Carolyn Allen. “The gift ensures that the libraries can continue to offer opportunities for the campus community to experience artistic expression that invokes contemplation and innovation. As we all know, the arts feed the soul and help us to become well-rounded individuals. We are incredibly grateful for their advocacy of the University Libraries and look forward to seeing this program prosper thanks to their generosity.”

Ben Hyneman grew up in Truman, while Janet Hyneman grew up in Paragould. Both came to the U of A as transfer students and met on the Hill. Ben graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Sam M. Walton College of Business, and Janet earned a Bachelor of Arts from the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

The Hynemans have three children and eight grandchildren. Two of their children and two of their children’s spouses are graduates of the University of Arkansas.

Ben Hyneman has served on the U of A System Board of Trustees since 2008 and is a past chair. Ben and Janet are life members of the Arkansas Alumni Association and the Chancellor’s Society and are recognized as Thoroughreds for their consecutive years of giving to the U of A.

About the University Libraries: Located at the heart of campus, David W. Mullins Library is the University’s main research library. Branch libraries include the Robert A. and Vivian Young Law Library, the Fine Arts Library, the Physics Library, and the Chemistry and Biochemistry Library. The Libraries provide access to more than 2 million volumes and 53,000 journals, and offer individual and group research help, study spaces, computer labs with printing and scanning, interlibrary loan and delivery services, and cultural exhibits and events. The Libraries’ Special Collections Department acquires, preserves, and provides access to materials on Arkansas and the region, its customs and people, and its cultural, physical, and political climate. Visit the Libraries’ web page at libraries.uark.edu to learn more about services and collections.

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.