The late Kay Luter has left a $500,000 gift to support students and faculty in the Arkansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
The multi-year commitment will directly benefit scholarships, faculty development and program needs across the college through the Charles and Kay Luter Endowed Scholarship in Veterinary Medicine, the Charles and Kay Luter College of Veterinary Medicine Excellence Fund, and the Charles and Kay Luter Annual Scholarship Fund.
In addition to the gift, she also documented a future estate gift that will provide further support for the college.
Luter and her late husband, Charles Luter, were inducted into the A-State Legacy Society in 1999. Charles Luter was a former member of the Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees and Distinguished Alumnus. Kay Luter was an educator, animal advocate and alum of A-State.
“Kay Luter’s support of our College of Veterinary Medicine reflected her deep commitment to ensuring compassionate, quality care for all animals,” Heidi Banse, dean of the veterinary college, said in a press release. “This endowment will make an immediate and lasting difference as we recruit faculty and prepare students for successful entry into practice. Her legacy will live on in every future veterinarian who benefits from her generosity.”
Kay and Charles met while students at Arkansas State and were married during their college years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in education in 1965, and later a master’s degree in early childhood education. She spent much of her career teaching in the College of Education and Behavioral Science and later served as the gifted and talented coordinator for northeast Arkansas.
The Luters were also instrumental in providing the lead gift for the Charles F. Luter Family Academic Success Center, which continues to support student-athletes through academic resources and tutoring.
In honor of Kay Luter, the A-State clock tower will be darkened Nov. 2.
“This is more than a generous donation; it’s a visionary investment in the future of veterinary education in our state,” A-State Chancellor Todd Shields said in the release. “Kay Luter’s leadership reflected a deep belief in the power of education to transform lives and communities. Her legacy will ensure that A-State attracts outstanding students and faculty who will shape the future of animal health across Arkansas and beyond.”
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