SILOAM SPRINGS — A chance meeting between a Little Rock real estate developer and JBU members of a mission team in Guatemala two years ago led to a major donation to fund the university’s scholarship endowment.
Thomas F. James Realty Limited Partnership, LLLP (TFJ) donated the now vacant building at 1600 W. U.S. Hwy 412, which most recently housed a Price Cutter grocery store. The building, which appraised for $2 million, will be sold by JBU. The proceeds from the sale will be matched by an anonymous donor as a part of the Keeping Faith $110 million campaign’s $20 Million Challenge. The Challenge provides money for endowed scholarships,in this case, for business majors and children of missionaries.
“We are so grateful to Judith James Scherer and Dave Constien at TFJ Realty for this generous gift that will impact the lives of hundreds of students,” said Paul Eldridge, senior director of development and planned giving for JBU. “These gifts help students who may otherwise not be able to afford it have access to quality Christian higher education.”
Constien met Joe Walenciak, John McCullough and Tiffany Taylor, all from JBU, two years ago when on a service mission trip to Guatemala. He was greatly impressed with these individuals. So when TFJRealty, which has owned the Price Cutter building since it was built in 1985, thought about donating the asset, Constien suggested JBU.
“John Brown University has a great mission of educating and empowering young people to make a positive change in the world,” said Constien. “TFJ Realty is proud to be a part of this important work.”
“This is an amazing gift from a wonderful Arkansas business,” said McCullough. “TFJ understands the importance of training the next generation of business leaders with a foundation of Christian ethics.”
“Free enterprise has a huge responsibility to help create a better world; we’re challenging our students to engage the global issues we face,” said Walenciak. “This gift from TFJ strengthens our ability to push our students to havea world impact.”
John Brown University is a private Christian university which enrolls more than 2,000 students from 42 states and 45 countries. JBU is a member of Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
Education, Pages 16 on 06/30/2010