The West Virginia University Foundation, Inc., is celebrating 50 years of service to West Virginia University. Since its founding on December 3, 1954, when it was incorporated as an independent nonprofit corporation, the organization has provided incalculable assistance in support of the University's mission.

Created largely due to the efforts of Dr. Irvin Stewart, WVU's 13th president (1946­1958), the WVU Foundation was established to help build a better university. Dr. Stewart envisioned an organization that would seek support for faculty, programs, services, equipment, and facilities that the state might not be able to fund.

Dr. Stewart believed that part of WVU's mission is to help all of the state's citizens—"The state university is a people's university. It belongs to the people in a real sense. They can determine the direction and rate of its growth by the way in which they grant or withhold their support." This ideology has guided the Foundation throughout its history.

In August 1959, Donovan H. Bond was named director of development for both the Foundation and the University. According to him, "The whole purpose of the Foundation was to do everything possible for the University, its constituents, and its parts."

The ability of the WVU Foundation to help the University community has grown tremendously during its 50-year existence. When incorporated, the Foundation's assets totaled $29,799. Under Bond's direction, the Foundation conducted the First Greater University Drive in 1965, which raised more than $1 million. In 1990, Foundation assets reached the $100 million mark, and by 1996 they doubled to $200 million. At the end of fiscal year 2003­2004, total assets of the Foundation were $673.5 million, with the endowment nearing $350 million.

In 1955 the Foundation established its first two scholarships. Today, there are 1,006 scholarship endowment funds worth $100.3 million. The Foundation disbursed a record $41.5 million on behalf of the University during the past fiscal year. In just the last ten years, the Foundation was able to provide the University with a total of $283.7 million in direct support. The Foundation has consistently surpassed its financial goals while ensuring that 100 percent of any gift is available for the donor's intended purpose.

While the Foundation's assets and endowments have increased dramatically over the years, illustrating just how much the University means to its alumni, faculty, staff, and the citizens of West Virginia, the amount of non-state funding necessary to keep a high-quality education within reach also continues to increase.

On January 1, 1999, when F. Duke Perry became president and chief executive officer of the WVU Foundation, he pointed out the ongoing mission of the organization: "I strongly believe in the benefits and value of education-that we must provide the opportunity for West Virginia's young people to attend college and make available to them the best education possible. This requires significant private support. We must do all that we can to generate that private support, and I take the responsibility to do so very seriously."

A major milestone was reached on December 31, 2003, when the WVU Foundation concluded its historic Building Greatness Campaign after having raised $336,238,381, more than $86 million beyond the projected goal.

In addition to financial support, the WVU Foundation helps the University in many other ways. In 1965, the Foundation purchased the land where the University constructed the Evansdale Residential Complex (Towers). Today, these four residence halls house nearly 1,800 students. In 1998, the Foundation donated its former Spruce Street office building, valued at $500,000, to the University. The Foundation built One Waterfront Place, a seven-story office building in Morgantown's Wharf District, in 2001. The Foundation occupies the seventh floor and leases, at cost, the bottom six floors to WVU. This arrangement allowed the University to avoid reducing its bonding capacity for academic facility needs.

Everyone involved with the WVU Foundation, from individual donors to student workers, and from full-time staff members to the 33 uncompensated members of its Board of Directors, takes pride in doing everything possible to make WVU a better place. F. Duke Perry proudly states that "The WVU Foundation exists to provide for the welfare and development of West Virginia University and its affiliated organizations by securing, administering, investing, and disbursing private funds in support of academic programs, student scholarships, faculty development, public service initiatives, and other priorities."

After 50 years, the WVU Foundation still holds true to the beliefs that have led to its success. Within the ever-changing face of the University and the city of Morgantown, the WVU Foundation remains the solid "foundation" for the future of West Virginia University. The WVU Foundation will continue to provide support for the growth and development of WVU well beyond the next 50 years.

Alumni Couple Establishes WVU's
First University Professorship

By Pam Fronko

A WVU alumni couple, Russell and Ruth Bolton, have made a commitment to the WVU Foundation that will establish WVU's first University Professorship.

"University professorships are endowed faculty positions intended for scholars distinguished by their ability to transcend disciplines and whose interests and activities enrich the academic community on a university-wide basis," said WVU Provost Gerald Lang. "The Bolton WVU Professorship will encourage interdisciplinary intellectual growth at the University. It is very gratifying to know that West Virginia University has loyal alumni such as the Boltons who recognize the importance of private support to the future of the University."

Russell Bolton earned a JD in 1949, while Ruth received a BA in speech in 1943. A native of Morgantown, he is the retired general counsel of Dart Industries, Inc., and associate general counsel with Dart & Kraft, Inc. She hails from Clarksburg, West Virginia, and was the secretary to WVU's 13th President, Dr. Irvin Stewart.

"Over the years we've contributed to the University, and when we were approached about the idea of making a gift to establish the first University Professorship, we were very pleased with the idea, pleased to be asked, and pleased to be able to help," said the Boltons.

The couple's gift is currently yielding lifetime income to them and has provided tax benefits as well. At their deaths, the remaining funds will create an endowment that will provide annual income for the professorship.

Former Secretary Remembers Dr. Irvin Stewart Dr. Irvin Stewart, WVU's 13th president, laid the groundwork for establishment of the West Virginia University Foundation 50 years ago. What kind of a leader was Dr. Stewart? Ruth Bolton, who served as his secretary, said he was a man of vision, fairness, and integrity who also had a great sense of humor. "President Stewart kept open communications with the students," she recalled. "He invited student government to participate in meetings with the administration and he wanted to hear what they had to say. He planted the seeds for some things that are being done today." She added that Dr. Stewart also worked to build and solidify the town and gown relationship. He and his wife, Florence, were very involved in the community. He was a truly well-rounded, educated man-not just educationally-but spiritually. She added that "He was a wonderful man. It was a wonderful experience for me as a young person." Bolton, a native of Clarksburg, West Virginia, received a bachelor's degree in speech in 1943. She and her husband, Russell, reside in Palm Desert, California, and maintain a summer home in Kingwood, West Virginia. The couple, longtime supporters of the University, recently created the Bolton­WVU Professorship.

Keck Foundation Awards $500,000 to WVU

By Jane Donovan and Pam Fronko

The W.M. Keck Foundation has awarded WVU's Eberly College of Arts and Sciences $500,000 for the study of spatiotemporal dynamics and complex chemical systems. The grant, made through the WVU Foundation, is the first from the prestigious Keck Foundation to the University.

This grant will fund research being conducted in the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry by Dr. Kenneth Showalter, the Bennett chair and professor of chemistry. His research program is one of the world's leading efforts in design and control of dynamical behavior in chemical systems. He is also regarded as one of the nation's leaders in nonlinear dynamics.

"We are grateful to the W.M. Keck Foundation for financial support of this research," Showalter stated. "The Foundation's generous support for cutting-edge research will permanently enhance WVU's research mission. This grant will position the Nonlinear Chemical Dynamics Program at the University as one of the world's pioneering research groups in this new and exciting area­exploring the boundary between living and nonliving entities."

Showalter's three-year research initiative will provide new insights into collective behavior in nonliving systems akin to that found in living systems. The research team supported through the grant consists of two undergraduate students, two graduate students, and a research assistant professor.

The research concerns higher-level spatiotemporal dynamics­how chemical entities interact with their environment and with one another. Building upon their expertise in the study of the spatiotemporal behavior of chemical systems, Showalter's team will develop and characterize particle-like waves that autonomously navigate and traverse obstacle-filled landscapes. They will investigate swarming behavior of collections of waves arising from the communication occurring among the individual waves via fixed and dynamic potentials.

"This award is truly an extraordinary recognition of the fine research being done in the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry and the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences," said Interim Dean Rudolph Almasy. "This is an exciting development that will affect faculty and students."

The research accomplishments of Showalter's team, such as the first control of chemical chaos and demonstrating the beneficial role of noise in propagating-wave signal transmission, have been reported in more than 100 scientific papers, including four articles in Nature and three articles in Science. Their study on controlling waves graced the cover of the June 14, 2002, issue of Science.

The W.M. Keck Foundation was established in 1954 by William Myron Keck (1880­1964), the self-educated son of a Pennsylvania oil worker who in 1921 founded the Superior Oil Company. The foundation funds undertakings that have the potential to benefit human quality of life, with primary focus on science, engineering, and medical research.

Puskar Endows Deanship

By Pam Fronko

Through the continuing generosity of Morgantown philanthropist Milan "Mike" Puskar, WVU's College of Business and Economics has established an endowed deanship.

The $1.5 million endowment is part of the $20 million personal commitment Puskar made last November in support of athletics and academics at the University.

"I have been committed to the future of the College of Business and Economics for quite some time. In 1995 our company helped to fund the college's interactive Mylan Distance Learning Center," said Puskar, founder and chairman of Mylan Laboratories, Inc., one of the premier manufacturers of prescription generic drugs in the world.

"Over the years, the college has made great strides, in part thanks to private support, which is essential for both the college and University to advance their level of excellence. My hope is that this endowment will aid the college in continuing that success."

The Milan Puskar Deanship in the College of Business and Economics will provide supplemental salary for the dean as well as funds to help address the most pressing needs of the college.

"We are indebted to Mr. Puskar for his generosity. This endowment will assist the University to recruit a dean of the highest caliber who can guide the college into the future," said Provost Gerald Lang. "It is the cornerstone of ensuring success in the College of Business and Economics and making B&E one of the strongest colleges at West Virginia University."

The deanship endowment is a portion of the $5.5 million Puskar provided for academic needs. The designation for the remaining academic funds will be announced at a later date. The $14.5 million dedicated for the department of intercollegiate athletics consisted of $12 million for the Milan Puskar Athletic Scholarship Endowment and $2.5 million for needed facility enhancements. The $20 million five-year pledge is the largest contribution ever made to the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University and in support of WVU athletics. In honor of his philanthropy, WVU's football stadium was named Milan Puskar Stadium, home of Mountaineer Field.

WVU Officials Dedicate Center Established by Faculty Gift

By Jim Davis

WVU's School of Physical Education joined global efforts to promote healthy minds and bodies with the dedication of the International Center for Performance Excellence (ICPE). Housed in the WVU Coliseum, the center emphasizes the importance of physical activity to overall well-being through cultural exchange programs and shared research.

The center was created with a $605,000 gift from the directors of Fitness Information Technology Inc. (FIT); Andrew Ostrow, a professor in the School of Physical Education; and William Alsop, an associate professor emeritus.

"The mission of the International Center for Performance Excellence is to promote, on a global basis, an awareness of the values of engaging in sport and health-related physical activity to enhance the quality of life," said Ostrow, FIT's president and CEO and a 32-year WVU faculty member.

"The center was established in honor of my father, Philip Ostrow, who taught me the meaning of excellence and who shared with me his love for travel and his passion for meeting people of different cultures," he added. The elder Ostrow was a longtime New York City educator.

The assets of FIT, a successful publishing company, were donated to the WVU Foundation to capitalize the new center, Ostrow said. The gift was the largest contribution by WVU faculty during the Building Greatness Campaign, which raised more than $336 million.

"We hope a gift of this magnitude will help accelerate the level of gift-giving by other faculty," Alsop said. Dean Dana Brooks said the center will become the focal point relative to internationalizing the School of Physical Education's various academic programs. "The center, under Dr. Ostrow's leadership, will be responsible for working with the school's faculty and students to write and submit grants supporting faculty and student international exchange programs," Brooks said.

He added that efforts will be initiated to engage in collaborative international research projects. ICPE will continue to market and publish books about sport studies and sport management. The center will provide graduate assistant positions and will host national and international conferences.


Ostrow is coordinator of WVU's Sport and Exercise Psychology Program. He has authored several textbooks and numerous research publications and presentations in sport and exercise psychology during his tenure at WVU.

Alsop held several positions in the School of Physical Education, including graduate coordinator, department chair for sport and exercise studies, division chair for physical education and sport studies, and program coordinator for sport management, a program he founded in 1980. He has made more than 50 professional presentations, authored several articles, and recently edited the Directory of Academic Programs in Sport Management.

Giving is Rewarding

By Deborah Miller

"GIVING to a cause that has personal meaning is one of the most rewarding experiences in life," says Pat Simms '66 of his choice to support West Virginia University.

A Camden-on-Gauley, West Virginia, native, Simms' career as a chemical engineer has taken him to various places around the nation. He currently is senior vice president of process development and operations for Diversa Corporation in San Diego, California. Diversa develops products for agricultural, chemical processing, industrial, and pharmaceutical applications worldwide.

"Especially in terms of financial giving, I think it's not so much the amount that matters, but that the gift represents a meaningful contribution of the individual's available resources. WVU, and for me personally, the Department of Chemical Engineering, are very worthwhile things to support," says Simms, who has three grown children and a granddaughter.

To supplement his annual support, Simms has included a gift provision in his will to benefit the Department of Chemical Engineering in the future. "Giving something today so that I can enjoy seeing its fruits and giving something later through my will for future generations are very satisfying choices," he adds.

Simms, who was named to the Academy of Chemical Engineers in 2002, is especially positive about recent efforts to modernize the Galli Laboratory, the core operations lab in the department. He credits Dean Gene Cilento of the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources for his leadership in accomplishing the much-needed renovations.

"Helping to make this project happen for the students and for the department has been a very gratifying experience," Simms says.

Making a gift through a will or other estate planning gift arrangement can increase the impact of a person's current support of WVU. Pat Simms is a great example of how this type of gift can help both the donor and the recipient.

Spring 2005 Contents

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