Arkansas State University-Newport on Wednesday said it received $1 million for its hospitality program from the family of Wallace Fowler of Jonesboro.
Fowler is the CEO and chairman of Liberty Bank of Arkansas and CEO and chairman of Fowler Foods Inc.
ASU-Newport is building a $2.5 million, 11,820-SF Hospitality Services Education Building that will be built on ASU-Newport’s Jonesboro campus. It should be completed by March, according to a ASU-Newport news release.
The Fowlers’ money will be used to endow the building, furnish it and support the program.
The building will have a 3,300-SF of "state-of-the-art commercial training kitchen," 2,000 SF of dining space, a food-service classroom and other labs. It will also feature an outdoor dining patio and green space.
It’s estimated that 20-30 students will start using the center for hospitality-related services in fall 2013, said ASU-Newport Chancellor Larry Williams. Programs will include a one-semester certificate of proficiency, a two-semester technical certificate and a two-year associate degree.
Williams said there’s a lot of demand for a hospitality services program in northeast Arkansas. He said he was approached by Fowler and Chris Fowler, president of Fowler Foods, to start the program.
ASU-Newport will ask the ASU Board of Trustees to name the building for the Fowler family.
Bailey Contractors Inc. of Bono is the general contractor and Brackett-Krennerich Architects of Jonesboro designed the building.
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