Jim Faulkner, Namesake of Faulkner Center, Remembered by University

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Jim and Joyce Faulkner at the announcement of the gift that would renovate the old men's gym into the Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Jim Faulkner, a 1954 graduate of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, is remembered for his substantial impact on music and the arts on the University of Arkansas campus. 

Originally from Malvern, Faulkner earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, the Razorback Band and the tennis team while he was a student. He was also a sportswriter for the Arkansas Democrat and the Arkansas Traveler and served as an assistant sports publicity director for the university.

“Jim Faulkner’s connection to the university and his passion for the Razorbacks was evident in everything he did,” said Chancellor Joe Steinmetz. “He personified the true spirit of Arkansas in all of his endeavors – from his business to his philanthropy – and he impacted everything from the arts to athletics.  He will be greatly missed by the Razorback family, but he will forever be remembered on our campus.”

Faulkner passed away on Feb. 9 but leaves behind a tremendous legacy at the university, where he and his wife, Joyce, supported numerous initiatives, such as Garvan Woodland Gardens, the Chancellor’s Society, the Wallace W. and Jama M. Fowler House, the Joyce and James H. Faulkner Band Scholarship, the Faulkner Family Chancellor’s Scholarship Fund, and – perhaps most notably – the Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center.

“Jim Faulkner was one of the most kind and generous souls I have ever had the pleasure of meeting,” said Nicole Cotton-Leachman, managing director of the U of A’s Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center. “His passion for the arts and the University of Arkansas were deeply rooted.”

Completed in 2015, the Faulkner Center is a world-class performance venue that seats 587 people, is 39,400 square feet large, and can accommodate up to 250 performers at once on its stage. The center was named for Jim and Joyce Faulkner in recognition of the couple’s major gift to the project, which was a renovation of the U of A’s old Field House. 

Thanks to the Faulkners, the center is now the main performance venue for the U of A’s Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and its Department of Music, and each year hosts a diverse range of guest musical activities for the university and the Northwest Arkansas community.  

“I remember how proud Jim and his family were during a dinner they had in the new Faulkner Center the night before it opened to the public,” said Todd Shields, dean of Fulbright College. “Jim was so excited that the U of A finally had an on campus performing arts center that would work not only with the campus but the entire Northwest Arkansas community.”

Shields said that night Faulkner also shared a story about when the center was still the old Field House, which included a gymnasium. Faulkner participated in a boxing match there and was thrown in way above his weight class. 

“He had everyone laughing so much during that story that we had tears in our eyes,” Shields said. “Jim was so kind, generous, funny and thoughtful. He accomplished so much in business, in his community, and had such a meaningful influence on so many people. He was incredibly well-respected and created so much positive change, and yet he was also one of the most caring and approachable people I have known. Seriously, he generated a kindness that could be tangibly felt.”

Whenever the Razorback Marching Band performs, Shields said he also thinks fondly of the Faulkners because “they helped purchase more than 400 new band uniforms that ‘The Best in Sight and Sound’ still don for each outstanding performance. ”

Cotton-Leachman said Jim Faulkner was also a mentor to her “and a true friend. He was a good listener and cared about people and used his good fortune to help ensure others had a hopeful and better future.”  

Cotton-Leachman said anytime she visited the Faulkners, “Jim answered the door with a huge smile and a hug,” adding that she is “fortunate to work in a building that is his and Joyce’s namesake. We will continue to keep his legacy alive.”

Cotton-Leachman was also with the Faulkners when they received the 2019 Governor’s Art Award. She said it struck her then how “deeply [Jim cared] for the state of Arkansas and all that the arts have to offer both our students and adults. It is because of his passion and generosity that both our state and campus are a better place. It is thanks to Jim.”  

In addition to his philanthropic support, Faulkner was also an active volunteer. He was a former member of the U of A Foundation Board, the Board of Advisors, the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century Steering Committee, the Campaign Arkansas Steering Committee, and the Campaign Arkansas committee for Central Arkansas. He was a life member of the Arkansas Alumni Association, included in the Towers of Old Main and counted as a Thoroughred for his 31 years of consecutive giving to the university. He was also a long-time member of the Razorback Foundation.

Scott Varady, executive director of the Razorback Foundation said, ““As a former Razorback student-athlete, Jim Faulkner was an unwavering and stalwart member of the Razorback Foundation for nearly 40 years.  We will always be grateful to Jim for the indelible legacy he and Joyce created for Razorback Athletics and the entire University of Arkansas family.  Jim’s impact on the Razorbacks will be enduring as will our gratitude and appreciation for the Faulkner family.”

Mark Power, vice chancellor for advancement said, “I will always remember Jim for being a kind and compassionate man. He helped us greatly throughout our capital campaigns and always provided encouragement and support to our efforts. He was a great friend to many and will be remembered fondly by the campus community and his peers. We are grateful for the time we spent with him and are humbled by the legacy he left at the university.”

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.