Gosack Gift Creates M.P.A. Endowment for Fulbright College

Photo courtesy of city of Fort Smith

Ray Gosack

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas alumnus Ray Gosack spent nearly all of his professional career in public administration. To commemorate this passion and his love for the U of A, an estate gift of over $500,000 has been made to the Department of Political Science in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences to create the Raymond W. Gosack Master of Public Administration Endowment.

Through the endowment, this gift will provide ongoing support for the program, which aims to provide a broad, flexible foundation to prepare students for careers in public service for the government, with non-governmental organizations and in the nonprofit business sector.

“The Department of Political Science is extremely grateful for Mr. Gosack’s generosity, and the years of support he gave our M.P.A. program,” said Pearl K. Dowe, chair of the department and associate professor. “This gift will allow for the M.P.A. program to increase professional development opportunities for students, enhance program diversity, and increase research support for our M.P.A. faculty.”

Gosack was originally from Greenwood and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from the U of A. He was recognized as the outstanding graduate of the M.P.A. program in 1985.

Gosack joined the city of Fort Smith as an administrative assistant in 1985 and then moved to Illinois for other positions in municipal government. He returned to Fort Smith in 1999 to serve as deputy administrator for 12 years and was named city administrator in 2011. He remained in this position until 2015 and passed away in 2016.

The Raymond W. Gosack Master of Public Administration Endowment will be used at the discretion of the dean of the Fulbright College to support the M.P.A. program.

A celebration of Gosack’s gifts to the University of Arkansas and University of Arkansas-Fort Smith was held on June 7 on the UAFS campus.

About the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences: The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most academically diverse unit on campus with 19 departments and 43 academic programs and research centers. The college provides the core curriculum for all University of Arkansas students and is named for J. William Fulbright, former university president and longtime U.S. senator.

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.