Ouachita Baptist University announces $800,000 gift from Little Rock attorney

Little Rock attorney Tom Thrash and his wife, Toni, have donated $800,000 to Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) in Arkadelphia. Thrash, owner of Thrash Law Firm and a 1977 OBU graduate, intends for the money to fully fund the installation of artificial turf at Cliff Harris Stadium’s Benson-Williams Field.

Construction will begin in the coming weeks and the field installation will be completed before the first home football game Sept. 5.

“I owe everything I have to Ouachita,” Thrash said in a statement. “The football program taught me the importance of achieving goals when faced with adversity, a lesson that has served me well over the years. I give because I want to continue the gift of Ouachita — an environment that fosters spiritual growth, provides an extraordinary education, and receives you as part of a family.”

Thrash was a four-year starter and All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) defensive back for the Tigers. He was also inducted into the Ouachita Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the 1975 football team.

Thrash, a member of the OBU Board of Trustees, graduated with honors in 1980 from University of Arkansas School of Law. He began his career at Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, where he served as senior partner. He founded his own law firm in 1998.

OBU won the Great American Conference (GAC) championship last year and ended the season 12-1.