LITTLE ROCK - The Ben J. Altheimer Charitable Foundation, Inc., a longtime supporter of the University of Arkansas System and its institutions, Tuesday announced four gifts of $100,000 each to establish the John N. Stern Scholars Fund at four UA colleges - the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock; the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and the School of Law at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

The $400,000 in contributions to establish the four Stern Scholars Funds announced Tuesday by the Altheimer Foundation brings to almost $5 million the total amount donated to universities within of the UA System by the Altheimer Foundation.

John Stern and his wife Fay, of Chicago, were present for the Tuesday ceremony held at the UA System office in Little Rock. Stern is the last of the original trustees of the Altheimer Foundation appointed by Ben J. Altheimer prior to his death in 1946.

The announcement of the establishment of the John N. Stern Scholars Fund was made by Altheimer Foundation trustees Little Rock attorney John S. Selig and restaurateur Michael John Selig in a presentation made to B. Alan Sugg, president of the University of Arkansas System and Bill Clark, chairman of the UA Board of Trustees. Stern was honored according to the memorandum of understanding establishing the Stern Scholars Fund for "faithfully and productively serving the Altheimer Foundation as its founding chairman and as a director until retiring from its service during 1998."

Sugg praised the Altheimer Foundation and its founder as well as Stern for their "stalwart support of education in Arkansas. Although Ben J. Altheimer has been deceased for nearly 50 years," Sugg said, "he continues to touch many young lives in our state through generous gifts made by his Foundation, which for many years was under the direction and thoughtful stewardship of John Stern."

Ben J. Altheimer, a successful attorney, was born in Pine Bluff where he practiced law before moving to Chicago and establishing one of that city’s most prestigious law firms there in 1910. He frequently returned to Arkansas where he had acquired farmland near Altheimer, which was named for his father and uncle who donated land to the railroad in that town for the establishment of a depot. He established the Altheimer Foundation before his death in 1946 to benefit 35 programs, including several within the UA System. Altheimer was the single trustee of the Foundation until his death when five trustees designated by him assumed the responsibility for its continuation.

Stern, a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, was invited by Altheimer to join the Chicago law firm. For five years after Altheimer’s death in 1946, Stern, acting as executor, oversaw the legal, fiscal and business administration of the Altheimer Foundation.

Selection of the "Stern Scholar" at each of the four colleges is the responsibility of its dean. Among the criteria set out in the memorandum of understanding for selection of a Stern Scholar is that he or she be a full-time resident of Arkansas, with first preference given to those from Jefferson County. Each shall also "demonstrate John N. Stern’s attributes of intelligence, initiative and enthusiasm for learning."

Since 1946, the Ben J. Altheimer Foundation has donated millions of dollars to charities and programs across Arkansas most in the areas of education, medicine, arts, sciences, literature and government. Contributions to programs and colleges at University of Arkansas System affiliates including those announced Tuesday total near $5 million including $3,083,790 to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; $1,084,646 to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock; $228,000 to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and more than $300,000 to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

At the University of Arkansas, the gift will establish and endow the John N. Stern Scholars Fund in the law school and endow a fund by the same name in Bumpers College. Stearns Scholars in the School of Law will be first-year law students who are Arkansas residents. Preference will be given to students from Jefferson Co. In Bumpers College, the purpose of the John N. Stern Scholars Fund will be to provide financial assistance to first year master’s program students enrolled full time in the College who demonstrate Stern’s attributes of intelligence, initiative and enthusiasm for learning.

UA Chancellor John A. White said, "We are extremely grateful to the Ben J. Altheimer Charitable Foundation for this generous gift to establish scholarships for law students and Bumpers College graduate students. It is important for the citizens of Arkansas to earn post-graduate and professional degrees. This scholarship fund is one of the ways that the University of Arkansas is reaching out to the state to attract qualified students to our campus. We are thankful for the Altheimer Charitable Foundation’s help in supporting our vision of a nationally competitive student-centered research university serving Arkansas and the world."

Greg Weidemann, dean of Bumpers College said, "The Altheimer Foundation has been a generous supporter of both Bumpers College and Division of Agriculture programs over the years and we are grateful for their continued support. This scholarship fund will be a valuable tool for us as we continue to seek ways to improve student recruitment and retention of master’s candidates."

Robert Moberly, dean of the School of Law said, "We’d like to thank the Altheimer Foundation for establishing this much-needed scholarship fund in the School of Law. Enhancing the quality of our student body is important to us as we continue to prepare future lawyers to enter the workforce of our state and nation and this gift will help us immensely."