Russell estate donates $335,000 to Jones Center

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net) 543 views 

The Jones Center in Springdale has received $335,036 from the estate of Robert Harvey Russell, nephew of Jones Truck Lines founder Harvey Jones, according to a news release.

The gift, made through the Robert Russell Family Charitable Remainder Unitrust, will help to advance the Jones Center’s mission of “empowering individuals and families to learn, play and thrive,” the release shows.

“We are deeply honored and grateful to the estate of Robert Russell for this extraordinary gift,” said Joe Lloyd, president and CEO of the Jones Center. “Mr. Russell’s legacy — rooted in family, service, and generosity — will help ensure our work continues for years to come.”

Russell was born in Fayetteville and grew up in Hailey, Idaho. He returned to Northwest Arkansas and served in the U.S. Army Reserves, attended the University of Arkansas and worked for Jones Truck Lines. He married co-worker Gweneece Hannah in 1961. They were married for 62 years until she died in March 2024. Russell died Sept. 17, 2024. He was 92.

The Jones Center was founded in 1995 by Bernice Jones, a Springdale philanthropist and the wife of Harvey Jones. The 220,000-square-foot center includes an indoor ice arena, indoor pools, a gym with an indoor track, and a conference center.

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