UA unveils landmark chancellor's dwelling
Posted on Sunday, September 21, 2008
ANTHONY REYES Northwest Arkansas Times The Fowler House will serve as the primary residence for the University of Arkansas chancellor.
University of Arkansas officials unveiled a new campus landmark Saturday.
The Wallace W. and Jama M. Fowler House is home to the UA’s new chancellor, G. David Gearhart and his wife, Jane.
“ We broke ground nearly two years ago, and as you can see, it was well worth the wait, ” Gearhart said. “ I think the Fowler House has met and exceeded every single expectation. It is timeless, elegant and simply spectacular in every way. ”
Located at 523 N. Razorback Road, the Wallace W. and Jama M. Fowler House was built with $ 2. 5 million in privately raised money.
Fundraisers had matched donors with many needs, such as scholarship funds and endowed professorships, before a Jonesboro couple committed to a $ 1. 75 million lead gift toward the residence in 2005, on the final day of the UA’s Campaign for the 21 st Century.
The Wallace W. and Jama M. Fowler House was named for the couple, and other donors followed with smaller gifts, including $ 95, 000 worth of in-kind furnishings and paintings, for a grand total of nearly $ 3 million in gifts for the house.
Gearhart, along with UA officials, donors and board members unveiled the residence during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a tour of the home Saturday morning.
“ This building will serve as a landmark for the next 100 years, ” Jim Lindsey, UA Board of Trustees chairman, said. “ I want to thank you for keeping our flagship strong. I doubt there’s a better chancellor’s house in the country. ”
Gearhart became chancellor July 1, which also marked move-in day for him and his wife, Jane. The home is just up the hill from Razorback Stadium.
Among its many amenities, the Fowler House features a dining room that can accommodate up to 14 guests, as well as an elevator, an exercise room, threecar garage, sun room, study, private kitchen, catering kitchen, wheelchair accessible bathrooms and four bedrooms. The residence also features an atrium with an expansive, spiral stairway leading to the second floor. A donated Steinway grand piano sits near the base of the stairway. Inside the entryway is a donor plaque listing those who gave cash and in-kind donations,
The 11, 343-square-foot residence will serve as a focal point for activities promoting and representing the UA. The residence be maintained and cared for by the UA’s facilities management department.
“ Jane and I feel like we’ve walked into a movie, ” Gearhart said. “ Every day is a day we will cherish here. ”
Architects from Polk Stanley / Roland Curzon Porter Architects designed the home.
Judy Snowden and Christian Kelly Snowden of Little Rock, decorated the interior of the home at no cost, using classic design elements with traditional French accents throughout.
Constructed by Flintco Inc., the Fowler House was recently awarded the 2008 Chairman’s Trophy by the Associated Builders and Contractors ’ Excellence in Construction Awards Program.
The Chairman’s Trophy is the top prize for construction in the state.
Flintco also won the award for institutional buildings in the $ 2 million to $ 4 million category for the Fowler House.
The Associate Builders and Contractors awards program is designed to publicly recognize the quality and innovation of construction contractors and vendors. Entries are judged on complexity, attractiveness, unusual challenges, completion time, workmanship, safety and budgets.
UA System President Alan Sugg thanked the Fowlers for making the chancellor’s home a reality.
“ I think I speak for everyone when I say a tremendous thank you to Wallace and Jama, ” he said. “ This is symbolic of all the tremendous, wonderful things that have happened at the UA under your watch. This is a great new tradition for our university. ”
Wallace Fowler attended the UA in 1954. He is chairman and chief executive officer of Liberty Bank of Arkansas as well as chairman of Fowler Foods Inc. He is a member of the Campaign for the 21 st Century Steering Committee and a member of the Leadership and Principal Gifts Committee. Examples of the Fowlers’ wide-ranging giving to civic and social organizations across Arkansas include the Fowler Center, a multipurpose community center at Arkansas State University, and their support of the Arkansas State University Museum. They are members of the UA Chancellor’s Society.
“ I’ve known Wallace and Jama for 25 years, and it’s been a marvelous relationship, ” Lindsey said. “ They are so dedicated to themselves, their family and their extended family. That’s how they operate. For the next 100 years, people will look at this building and know that someone cared. ”
In addition to serving in various community organizations, Wallace Fowler was named Business Executive of the Year in 2003 by ASU. He was also honored with the Outstanding Volunteer Service Award at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism in 2002.
The Fowlers have three children and are big Razorbacks fans. They’re currently involved in Road Hog Park, a recreational vehicle site on 15 th Street.
“ We’re just really proud of the house and glad to be here, ” Wallace Fowler said. “ Most importantly, we’re glad to have family here. ”
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