Dallas Couple’s Quarter Million Dollar Gift Will Benefit Dallas-Area Students

DALLAS - A $250,000 gift from Bill and Susan Montgomery of Dallas will be used to create and endow the "Dallas Scholars" Honors College Fellowships at the University of Arkansas.

To create two fellowship endowments, the Montgomerys’ gift will be matched by $250,000 from matching funds earmarked from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation’s $300 million gift made in April 2002. The fellowships will be awarded to two qualified students from the Dallas Independent School District or R. L. Turner High School in Carrollton, Texas, Bill Montgomery’s high school alma mater.

The Dallas Scholars Honors College Fellows will be among the most prestigious undergraduate fellowships offered by the University of Arkansas. The fellowships will award $12,500 annually and are available to qualified students in any academic major. The fellowships will be available beginning in the fall 2004 semester.

"We are so pleased Bill and Susan Montgomery have chosen to designate their gift to help students from their community. We’ve long sought to recruit more outstanding students from Texas, and these fellowships will be highly attractive," UA Chancellor John A. White said. "It’s well known that Bill Montgomery is very much a part of the history of the University of Arkansas, so it’s particularly meaningful that he and Susan have chosen to continue to support the University. Their scholarship support will contribute significantly to achieving our vision of a nationally competitive, student-centered research university serving Arkansas and the world."

G. David Gearhart, vice chancellor for University Advancement, said, "We are grateful and appreciative for Bill Montgomery’s continued leadership and support. He has been an exemplary chair of the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century’s North Texas Committee and endowing this fellowship demonstrates his commitment to making a difference at the University of Arkansas and in north Texas."

As a student, Mr. Montgomery majored in finance and was a member of the football team prior to earning a B.S.B.A. in 1971. He was also a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity.

Susan Montgomery attended the University of California at Berkeley.

Mr. Montgomery began his investment career in New York but has lived in Dallas for a number of years. He is a member of the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century Steering Committee and chairman of the North Texas Region Committee.

Bill Montgomery’s involvement with the University of Arkansas includes his past participation on the Walton College Dean’s Executive Advisory Board and the Walton College Dean’s Circle. He also has been inducted into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

The Montgomerys have four sons, one of whom is a UA graduate.

Started in 1998, the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century is a seven-year effort to raise $900 million in private gift support by June 30, 2005. Campaign funds are being used to help the University achieve its vision for the twenty-first century. Campaign funds are being raised for six critical areas of need: endowed faculty positions, scholarship funds, academic programs, University Libraries, academic facilities and equipment and annual giving.

As of Jan. 31, 2004, the Campaign had raised $784.5 million in gifts and pledges. Of the $900 million Campaign goal, $300 million is being raised as part of what’s being called The $300 Million Challenge, in response to the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation’s condition that the University of Arkansas match their $300 million gift. All gifts made to academics and academic support programs between Jan. 1, 2002, and the end of the Campaign will be counted toward the Challenge. As of Jan. 31, 2004, The $300 Million Challenge total stands at $154.6 million.

For more information about how to apply for this fellowship visit http://scholarships.uark.edu/fellowships.html.