Former Tyson exec and wife gift $1 million to Arkansas Children’s Northwest

Former Tyson Foods President and CEO Noel White and his wife Patty have included a $1 million donation to Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW) through a planned estate gift, the Little Rock-based hospital system announced Tuesday (July 29).

According to ACNW, the inpatient unit at the hospital in Springdale will be named after the White family. ACNW, which opened in 2018, is Northwest Arkansas’ only pediatric hospital.

Noel White, who joined Tyson in 1983, was president and CEO of Tyson Foods between 2018 and 2020 and was on the board as executive vice chairman until his retirement in 2023.

“We’re proud to raise our family in this vibrant, growing community — and we’re committed to doing our part to make sure that every child who calls this region home has the best chance at a healthy future,” Patty White said in a statement.

Married since 1983, Patty and Noel are parents to Ashley White Guziec and Taylor White. Ashley and her husband, Kyle, have three children: Addison, Connor and Collins. Taylor White and his wife, Brooks, have two children: Kennedy and Wesley.

“Patty and I believe deeply in the power of community and in building a future where all children have access to world-class care,” said Noel White. “It’s an honor to support an organization that is redefining pediatric health care in Arkansas.”

In fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025), Arkansas Children’s served 196,000 children — more children than ever before — and the need for services continues to grow, according to the hospital system. The $318 million expansion across Arkansas Children’s focuses on delivering better access, outcomes and improved on-campus experiences at the state’s nationally ranked pediatric health system.

“This generous legacy gift demonstrates Patty and Noel White’s extraordinary leadership and will create a lasting impact for generations of children,” said Fred Scarborough, executive vice president and chief development officer for Arkansas Children’s. “This is such a thoughtful gift and is a beacon of hope for what is possible when community leaders step forward to champion child health.”

Arkansas Children’s is the only health care system in the state solely focused on medical care for the estimated 850,000 children in the state. The private, nonprofit organization includes two pediatric hospitals with 361 licensed beds, a pediatric research institute, a nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, and many education and outreach programs.