J. Clifford Todd

J. Clifford Todd made a commitment of $850,000 to create the Center for Longevity and Healthful Living at WKU.

The Center will emphasize physical fitness, overall wellness, nutrition, mental activity, and interpersonal relations to allow people to effectively prepare for the aging process. The commitment will complement Todd's earlier gift of $500,000, which was matched by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, to create a $1 million professorship in Longevity and Healthful Living.

J. Clifford Todd is a 1950 WKU graduate in agriculture and biology and holds a master's degree in public health from Columbia University. He spent 17 years as an epidemiologist in the health field. In 1983, Todd formed US Corrections Corp, the first private prison company in the United States, to help government agencies alleviate the problems with overcrowded prisons. He retired in 1995.

"I have long had an interest in longevity and better health, both in philosophy and in practice. It is my hope that this gift will show people how they can benefit from living right, eating better foods and exercising. By supporting WKU in teaching and promoting a healthy lifestyle in students today, I am helping to train the teachers of tomorrow."