FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — One of the nation’s largest transportation companies, ABF Freight System Inc., based in Fort Smith, has provided $100,000 to the University of Arkansas College of Engineering for the establishment of two endowed fellowships.

The gift will be matched by $100,000 from the Matching Gift Program to create a $200,000 endowment. The ABF Freight System Doctoral Fellowships in Industrial Engineering will help attract and retain highly qualified doctoral candidates in industrial engineering.

Ashok Saxena, dean of the College of Engineering, said: “The quality of a Ph.D. program is a leading indicator of a nationally competitive research university. We are grateful to ABF Freight System for this gift, which will go a long way toward strengthening our graduate program and maintaining our place among the ranks of America’s leading departments.”

John R. English, professor and department head, said, “A major focus of our department, and the University of Arkansas as a whole, is to increase the number of Ph.D. graduates. The ABF Freight System Doctoral Fellowships in Industrial Engineering will help by providing support to two Ph.D. students specializing in areas that support the transportation industry, such as logistics, transportation planning, and network design.”

Bob Davidson, president and CEO of ABF said, “Over the years, it has been our pleasure to have a strong association with the University of Arkansas. We have been fortunate to employ many graduates of the university, a large number with degrees in Industrial Engineering. These graduates have been well-prepared for the business environment with keen minds, sound business ethics, good interpersonal skills, intellectual curiosity and strong work ethic. These individuals have contributed heavily to the success of our company.”

The industrial engineering department’s graduate program was ranked 30th by U.S. News and World Report in 2005.

Established in 1923, ABF is one of North America’s oldest and most reputable motor carriers. It continues to be recognized as a benchmark for safety, security, technology and freight-handling standards. Last year, the American Trucking Associations awarded ABF the Excellence in Security Award, the 28th time that ABF has been recognized by the organization since 1971. ABF’s emphasis on quality and value was cited by Logistics Management magazine, which awarded the carrier a 2004 Quest for Quality Award. And ABF was twice recognized by CIO magazine for innovative excellence in information technology, earning the 2005 CIO Enterprise Value Award for the transportation industry and a spot on the 2004 CIO Top 100 Agile Companies list. ABF is the largest subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation (Nasdaq: ABFS).