Old Main endowment created by $1 million gift

The University of Arkansas announced a $1 million endowment gift Tuesday (July 26) to the Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences. The donation will support the perpetual upkeep and maintenance of Old Main, the oldest building on the UA campus in Fayetteville.

The donation is from Carl and Marlys Fallen. According to the UA release, after military service following his first year at the university, Carl completed his degree in 1963 and enjoyed a successful career with Tulsa Oil and Gas Co., where he met Marlys.

“I’ve always looked at Old Main as the centerpiece of the university,” Carl said. “It’s just the iconic campus building for me, and I know for other people, too.”

Old Main was built in 1875 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. In the spring of 1991, a $10 million restoration brought the building back to full operation and stature after a deterioration in the 1970s and 1980s. The five-story building has 106,055 square feet.

Old Main is home to the Fulbright College Dean’s Office as well as multiple academic departments, centers and faculty of Fulbright College. Additionally, Old Main is home to thousands of students during the school year who attend classes, conduct research, and meet faculty there.

“This remarkable gift from Carl and Marlys will have a potentially centuries-lasting impact on our campus,” said Todd Shields, dean of Fulbright College. “Old Main has been ‘the light on a hill’ for higher education in Arkansas for nearly 150 years, and this gift will help ensure it will for another 150 years and many more after that.”

For the full UA news release, click here.