Jerry Jones, wife donate $10.65 million to alma mater Arkansas
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his wife, Gene, have donated $10.65 million to their alma mater, Arkansas.
Jones, who was an offensive lineman on Arkansas' 1964 national championship team, announced the donation to support the Razorbacks' soon-to-be-completed athlete support center and improve the football locker room. A "Wild Band of Razorbacks" monument is also planned as a permanent tribute to the Hogs' national championship team.
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Arkansas' statement on the donation also indicates the university's board of trustees is considering a recommendation to name the center the Jerry and Gene Jones Family Student-Athlete Success Center. The football locker room will be named the Jerry and Stephen Jones Locker Room.
“The University of Arkansas is a special place and has meant so much to me and our entire family,” Jerry Jones said. “We are honored to have the opportunity to give back to an institution, an athletics program and a state that has been such an instrumental part of our lives. My experiences at the University of Arkansas as a student-athlete under the legendary coach Frank Broyles helped shape me as a man and guide me on my future career path. I would not be where I am today without those life lessons learned as a student-athlete at the University of Arkansas.
“Today under the leadership of Jeff Long, the Razorback program continues to provide those opportunities to young men and women competing for the University of Arkansas. I hope that in some way our gift can help provide the same transformational experience to all those student-athletes who choose to become Arkansas Razorbacks.”
Jones purchased the Cowboys in 1989 for $150 million. The franchise is now worth $3.2 billion, according to Forbes. Jones is reportedly worth $4.2 billion.
- Mike Fiammetta
