FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas alumnus Guy Eastman Brown II and his wife, Ellen Tarshis Brown, have a combined 34 years of military service between them and wanted to make a meaningful contribution to help veterans. The couple, who now live in Columbia, Missouri, chose to contribute $50,000 through Campaign Arkansas to create an Advance Arkansas scholarship at the U of A.

“The Browns are making an investment in Arkansas by establishing this scholarship,” said Charles Robinson, vice chancellor for student affairs. “Thanks to their support, future students will have the opportunity to come to the U of A and complete their degrees at the state’s flagship. We are very grateful for their commitment to higher education and to our Advance Arkansas scholarship initiative.”

Guy Brown grew up in Houston and Fayetteville, where his father served as mayor for five years. He graduated with a B.S.B.A. from what was then the College of Business Administration – now the  Sam M. Walton College of Business – in 1962 and spent the next 20 years in the Air Force. While Brown was stationed in New York City, he met Ellen Tarshis, who was also serving in the Air Force as a nurse.

During their time in the Air Force, Guy Brown earned a master’s degree in human communication from the University of Northern Colorado, and Ellen Brown earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Loretto Heights College in Denver – now Regis University. When the couple moved to Houston, Ellen Brown spent 16 years working at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Guy worked in public relations and advertising for the University of Houston before starting his own company in 1984.

Because of their years of military service, the Browns wanted to find a way to give back to help fellow veterans or active military personnel. The Guy Eastman Brown II and Ellen Tarshis Brown Advance Arkansas Endowed Scholarship will support new, returning or transfer students from Arkansas, with a preference given to qualified students who are veterans, active duty, in the Reserves or the National Guard.

“The Browns have a wonderful history of service to their country and to this university,” said Erika Gamboa, director of the Veterans Resource and Information Center at the U of A. “This gift is very exciting to me, and I look forward to seeing the difference it will make for student veterans at the U of A who have unmet financial needs.”

The Browns already have a history of giving back to support student scholarships. In addition to their Advance Arkansas scholarship, they also funded the Ellen Tarshis Brown Access Arkansas Scholarship in the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing in the College of Education and Health Professions. They have also endowed a  scholarship at the medical school at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

“I received all of my education free of charge because of scholarships and support from the Air Force,” Ellen Brown said. “We felt appreciative of what we had and wanted to give back. Our life was made easy, and we wanted to make someone else’s easy.”

“I have always been indebted to the University of Arkansas,” Guy Brown said. “Endowing this scholarship is the finest way we can say thanks.”

Guy Brown is a former board member of the Arkansas Alumni Association and was chapter president of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity as a student at the U of A. He and Ellen are Life A-plus members of the Arkansas Alumni Association and are included in the Towers of Old Main, a recognition society for the university’s most generous benefactors.

About Campaign Arkansas: Campaign Arkansas is the ongoing capital campaign for the University of Arkansas to raise private gift support for the university’s academic mission and other key priorities. The campaign’s goal is to raise $1.25 billion to support academic and need-based scholarships, technology enhancements, new and renovated facilities, undergraduate, graduate and faculty research, study abroad opportunities and other innovative programs. The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in a wide spectrum of disciplines as it works to fulfill its public land-grant mission to serve Arkansas and beyond as a partner, resource and catalyst.

About the Veterans Resource and Information Center: The University of Arkansas Veterans Resource and Information Center contributes to the academic and professional success of current and prospective student veterans and their dependents by providing innovative resources and support; assisting with military educational benefits; and by serving as a central “rally point” for a seamless collaboration among various departments within the university, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the diverse network of community partners supporting veterans. Located in the Garland Avenue Parking Suites, the Veterans  Resource and Information Center serves nearly 1,400 students annually.

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.