Grant allows FMU to build on mission of helping Pee Dee

By: Morning News | SCNow
Published: June 18, 2008

Francis Marion University has gotten a major gift from a foundation to honor former Gov. Robert E. McNair.

The grant, from the PSARAS Foundation, will help FMU create the Robert E. McNair Center for Government and History.

What the grant will do is help establish the public affairs institute and also give scholarships to students interested in research and out reach.

James S. Konduros, chairman of the PSARAS Foundation, said at the announcement of the grant, “The McNair Center fulfills a vision that Gov. McNair had for this state. I believe this gift will institutionalize his legacy.”

McNair, who felt the creation of FMU that occurred during his term was one of the best accomplishments, was committed to helping the university.

And this is certainly a wonderful way to see that it continues to educate, as well as help the community and honor the late governor’s memory, as well.

The gift will help fund a scholarship for a student that will fund their education at FMU but also require service learning and outreach efforts to help with issues in the Pee Dee.

Secondly, the grant will fund a campus based research and service institute that will host the McNair Scholars and other related programs already in place at FMU.

“With its focus on teaching, research and outreach, the center will provide linkage between academic and community initiatives and provide a platform for future innovative projects, all consistent with the foresight and dreams of Bob McNair,” Dr. Fred Carter, president of FMU, said at the announcement. “We are profoundly grateful to the PSARAS Foundation for partnering with us on this endeavor that will pay tribute to an extraordinary leader and allows his legacy to have an ongoing impact on this institution and the region we serve.”

FMU’s Non-Profit Leadership Institute, a yearlong program for executives in nonprofit organizations around the state, will be part of the Center, as well as the Rural Area Leadership Institute, a series of capacity-building projects in Pee Dee counties. Also included will be the university’s International Program, which offers education exchange programs for FMU and overseas students, and the university’s Model UN activity.

We are excited about the possibilities and look forward to seeing the programs take shape and the students selected for the scholarships.