Alan Alda, Others Contribute to UA Fountain

Among the names planted recently at the base of the J. William Fulbright Memorial Peace Fountain at the University of Arkansas are those of Alan and Arlene Alda. The actor, who was best known as “Hawkeye” in the television series M*A*S*H, and his wife donated $2,000 toward construction of the fountain. Arlene Alda had been a Fulbright scholar.

The top 11 donors for construction of the fountain were: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, $300,000; Diethelm Hoener of the Federal Republic of Germany, $200,000; Sultanate of Oman, $100,000; J.H. Zhou with Junefield Holdings of the People’s Republic of China, $52,645; Lippo Group in honor of Mochtar Riady of the Republic of Indonesia, $50,000; A.P. Moller of Maersk Line of Denmark, $15,000; Republic of Vietnam, $10,000; Kingdom of Thailand, $10,000; Republic of Turkey, $10,000; Tyson Foods Inc., $10,000; David and Barbara Pryor, $10,000.

Stephens Inc. of Little Rock gave $12,500 to help defray costs of the dedication ceremony.

Other prominent Arkansas donors included: Helen Walton, wife of the late Wal-Mart Stores Inc. founder Sam Walton, John Lewis, president of the Bank of Fayetteville; Donna Axum Whitworth, former Miss America; Harriet Mayor Fulbright, widow of J. William Fulbright; and Ark and Nancy Monroe, a prominent Little Rock lawyer and his wife.

A 41-foot bronze tower was erected in the center of the fountain between Old Main and Vol Walker Hall on Aug. 7. The 11,000-pound tower commemorates the achievements of Fulbright, a Fayetteville native who was UA president and served as a U.S. senator for 30 years. A life-sized statue of Fulbright will be placed near the fountain next year. Cost of the entire project is estimated at $900,000