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| About the Reynolds Center |
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The Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development, located adjacent to the existing business
building on the University of Arkansas campus, was dedicated in February 1999. This state-of-the-art
41,000 square feet building was funded with a gift from the Donald W. Reynolds foundation. The center
is devoted to the Sam M. Walton college of Business's commitment to serving Arkansas and the world.
Each year programs housed in the Reynolds Center serve more than 8,500 students, members of the
university community, and state and regional constituents. Outreach programs housed in the center
include: the Center for Management and Executive Development, which is the administrative department
for the Reynolds Center, the Center for Business and Economic Research, the Bessie B. Moore Center for
Economic Education, and the Small Business Development Center.
In addition, through state-of-the-art technology, the Reynolds Center enables the Walton College to
deliver programs throughout the state and region through distance education. Other features available
for special events, distance learning, and outreach program training include a 300 seat auditorium,
technology mediated learning classrooms, seminar rooms, multi-purpose areas, and a multimedia training
classroom.
Donald W. Reynolds
Donald W. Reynolds was among the first to recognize the value of growth potential of communications
companies in small-to-medium sized markets. The son of a door-to-door salesman, Reynolds was truly
a pioneer in the American communications industry.
His career began at the tender age of 10, pocketing a half-cent for each newspaper he sold on the
street in Oklahoma City. Beginning as an entrepreneur at the age of 21, and purchasing his first
newspapers in 1940, Reynolds would spend the rest of his life reporting the news and pursuing media
properties.
Reynolds created the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation in 1954 to provide grants to non-profit civic,
charitable, cultural, educational and health organizations. After his death, the Foundation received
from his estate a substantial bequest which positions the Foundation as one of the largest independent
foundations in the nation. Focus of the capital grants program has been narrowed to three states in
which Mr. Reynolds had the greatest interest: Arkansas, Nevada and Oklahoma.
Endowment Donors
As part of the grant agreement, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation required the University of Arkansas to
provide an endowment for the perpetual maintenance of this building. The earnings from the endowment is
used for capital improvements and maintaining cutting-edge technology. These additional funds, equaling
20 percent of the grant, were required to be committed before the Center was opened in December of 1998.
The following donors generously contributed to the endowment totaling $1.5 million:
- Economic Development of Arkansas Fund Commission
- Prairie Grove Telephone Company
- Simmons First National Bank
- Southwestern Energy Company
- John Titus
- The Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, Inc.
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