State Farm Companies Foundation
Makes Donation To WKU

November 17, 2003

Bowling Green, Ky. - Students majoring in business at Western Kentucky University will benefit from a new executive classroom and scholarship monies thanks to a donation from the State Farm Companies Foundation.

The State Farm Companies Foundation donated $76,000 to Western Kentucky University's Gordon Ford College of Business today as part of State Farm's priority school program. The monies will go toward an executive classroom, student scholarships and support for the Certified Financial Planner ® program.

WKU President Gary Ransdell said the gift is another example of how Western can partner with the private sector to benefit both. "State Farm's generous gift will provide scholarship funds and training opportunities for students who could then be excellent employees for companies like State Farm," he said.

Western was chosen by the State Farm Companies Foundation's priority school program because of the number of WKU graduates who are employed at State Farm and, because of relationships that existed between State Farm and WKU.

"Part of State Farm's mission is to help people realize their dreams," remarked G. Ron Nichols, Vice President-Operations for State Farm. "Through this donation to Western Kentucky University we are supporting the university's efforts to give Kentuckians the opportunity to realize their dreams."

Dr. Robert Reber, interim dean of the Gordon Ford College of Business, said Western was the first university in Kentucky to offer the Certified Financial Planner program and among the first 20 in the nation.

State Farm is the largest auto and home insurer in the United States.

For information about the State Farm Companies Foundation, click on statefarm.com ®

For more information, contact Dustin Miller with State Farm at (859) 223-8877 or Robert Reber at WKU at (270) 745-6311. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.



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