FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - A $1 million pledge by Edwin G. and Karlee Bradberry of New York, N.Y., and Fayetteville, will support a chair in the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business. Funds of $1 million from endowed Walton College funds will match the pledge and supplement the Edwin and Karlee Bradberry Chair for an outstanding faculty member.

Walton College Dean Doyle Z. Williams said, "This pledge will play an integral role in retaining world-class faculty and enhancing the information systems department as an area of excellence in the Walton College. We are very grateful to the Bradberrys for their support that will undoubtedly help us move this department into national prominence."

The first holder of the Edwin and Karlee Bradberry Chair is Bill C. Hardgrave, executive director of the Walton College’s Information Technology Research Center and associate professor of information systems.

Mr. Bradberry said, "We wholeheartedly support the vision of Chancellor John White to transform the University of Arkansas into an economic engine for the state of Arkansas. As well, we believe in Dean Williams’ efforts to make the Walton College’s information systems department nationally competitive. This gift will help train tomorrow’s workforce for critical information technology jobs and lead research in the future application of technology.

"Over the years, the University of Arkansas has provided our businesses with many good people in the areas of finance and engineering - people we really needed," added Mr. Bradberry. "We felt like the University had given so much to our family and the community that we should give back. We also want to inspire others to give."

Mr. Bradberry is president and chief executive officer of B & B Resources Inc., Fayetteville, a family company founded in 1964. He was founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Continental Ozark Inc., a Fayetteville-based petroleum products company, prior to his retirement from that company in 1995. He served for 10 years as a director of Lion Oil Company in El Dorado.

Prior to moving to Northwest Arkansas in 1976, Mr. Bradberry was co-founder of Western Crude Oil Inc. in Denver, Colo., where he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Previously he had served in several management positions in the supply and distribution department of Shell Oil Company.

UA Chancellor John A. White said, "We are grateful to the Bradberry family for their continued support of the University of Arkansas. One of our key goals is to increase the size and quality of our faculty and this gift will help us continue to attract and retain great men and women. This gift is an investment in the future of the University of Arkansas and supplements our vision of emerging as a nationally competitive, student-centered research university serving Arkansas and the world."

G. David Gearhart, vice chancellor of University Advancement, said, "This gift from the Bradberrys makes a significant impact on the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century goals." The Campaign for the Twenty-First Century, currently in the planning stages, is a multi-year, intensive fund-raising initiative in which significant levels of private gift support will be raised to support students, faculty and programs. The University will kick-off its major fund-raising campaign this fall.

Bill Hardgrave is the founding and current director of the Information Technology Research Center, an interdisciplinary unit for research within the Walton College. He came to the University of Arkansas after completing his Ph.D. in management information systems from Oklahoma State University. Prior to entering academia, Hardgrave worked as a programmer, systems analyst and general manager for two software development firms. He continues to help companies solve a variety of information systems-related problems. Hardgrave has published two books and more than 50 articles primarily on the topic of software development. His publications have appeared in outlets such as Communications of the ACM, Journal of Management Information Systems, IEEE Software, Information & Management, Journal of Systems & Software, Computers & Operations Research, and Educational and Psychological Measurement. His primary research interest involves improving the software development process and environment. He has received multiple awards for teaching and research, including the H.L. and Janelle Hembree Award for Outstanding All-Around Faculty in the Walton College.

The Bradberrys have been major supporters of the University of Arkansas, providing not only their resources, but also their time and advice. Mr. Bradberry is a member of the Walton College’s Dean’s Executive Advisory Board. He also is a member of UA Campaign for Twenty-First Century Steering Committee and the Walton College’s Campaign Committee. He is a charter member of the Chancellor’s Society as well as a gold member. He serves on the UA National Development Council and is in the Razorback Foundation’s Top 200.

Mr. Bradberry is a charter member of the board of directors of the Northwest Arkansas Business Council and previously served for three years as a member of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority. He also served on the UAMS Jones Eye Institute Advisory Road. Along with Mrs. Bradberry, he serves on the board of the Village Institute for Psychotherapy in New York City. He is a former member of the Washington Regional Medical Foundation Board and a former director and vice-chairman of the UAMS Foundation Fund Board. He recently accepted a position on the board of Ozark Aging Foundation. He has been active in the development of the University of Arkansas Cancer Research Center and numerous other civic and charitable organizations.

Along with Mrs. Bradberry, Mr. Bradberry attended Rice University in Houston, Texas and received a degree in business administration and economics. The Bradberrys have five children and 12 grandchildren.