Fayetteville in Washington County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
The $300 Million Gift
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 20, 2023
1. The $300 Million Gift Marker
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The $300 Million Gift. . On April 11, 2002, the university received the largest gift in the history of U.S. public higher education a $300 million challenge gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. The gift established and endowed an undergraduate honors college and the graduate school. Its express purpose was to elevate the university and the state of Arkansas, placing an aspiring flagship public university on a level playing field with the best public universities in America. The gift was the fifth-largest ever to any American university, public or private. The Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation was established by the family of the late Sam M. Walton, creator of the world's largest corporation, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. of Bentonville, Ark.
On April 11, 2002, the university received the largest
gift in the history of U.S. public higher education
a $300 million challenge gift from the Walton Family
Charitable Support Foundation. The gift established
and endowed an undergraduate honors college and
the graduate school. Its express purpose was to
elevate the university and the state of Arkansas,
placing an aspiring flagship public university on a
level playing field with the best public universities
in America. The gift was the fifth-largest ever
to any American university, public or private. The
Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation
was established by the family of the late Sam M.
Walton, creator of the world's largest corporation,
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. of Bentonville, Ark.
Erected by Arkansas Alumni Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Education. A significant historical date for this entry is April 11, 2002.
Location. 36° 4.226′ N, 94° 10.468′ W. Marker is in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in Washington County. It is at the intersection of West Maple Street and North Lindell Avenue,
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on the right when traveling west on West Maple Street. Marker is in front of University House at the University of Arkansas. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1002 W Maple St, Fayetteville AR 72701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northwest Arkansas, on the Ozark Plateau, in the Cherokee Heritage Region, and in Osage Territory. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Ozarks. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 234 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 30, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
