Academy Of Mathematics And Science In Kentucky Dedicated, Named For Educational Philanthropist
C.M. "Bill" Gatton
August 23, 2007
Bowling
Green, Ky. - As 120 of Kentucky’s brightest high school juniors and seniors watched, Western Kentucky
University today dedicated the Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky and named it in honor of business leader C.M. “Bill” Gatton.
The Carol Martin Gatton Academy opened at WKU earlier this month to 120 of the state’s most gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors. “This residential program selects the state’s brightest students, who have demonstrated interest in pursuing careers in science, mathematics, technology, and engineering,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “The goal of the Gatton Academy is to enable Kentucky’s most exceptional young minds to learn in a rigorous intellectual environment which offers advanced educational opportunities, preparing them for leadership roles in Kentucky. We are truly grateful to Mr. Gatton for his leadership support.”
Instead of spending their junior and senior years in traditional high schools students will live in the renovated Schneider Hall and take courses offered by WKU. At the end of two years, they will be high school graduates and will have earned at least 60 college credit hours from WKU
Through a substantial leadership gift, Mr. Gatton, a businessman from Bristol, Tenn., with business interests in Kentucky, has created an endowment that will offer substantial programmatic opportunities for the new Academy. Dr. Ransdell said WKU chose to name the Academy in honor of Mr. Gatton to recognize his leadership support and his support of business and higher education in the Commonwealth.
The $4 million gift from Mr. Gatton, according to Gatton Academy Director Tim Gott, will significantly impact the work of the Academy. As the endowment grows, so will the proceeds that will be used to support the Academy, Mr. Gott said.
“Mr. Gatton’s gift will provide funding for student research, service projects, visiting scholar opportunities, and other substantial educational programming,” he explained. “These experiences will broaden the educational scope for the Gatton Academy’s students, which will impact them in a deep and meaningful way.”
Tom Hiles, WKU’s vice president for Institutional Advancement, said that along with his business success, Mr. Gatton is known for his support of education in the Commonwealth and beyond. “He is a role model and has inspired countless other donors to support high education,” Mr. Hiles said. “We are so grateful for his support and his willingness to lend his name to this innovative, statewide Academy.”
Mr. Gatton’s business interests include banking, real estate and automobile dealerships. A Kentucky native, he was raised on a farm on the Muhlenberg-McLean County line, on land that was settled by his grandfather in the mid-1800s. He said he is pleased to be giving back to Kentucky. “I like to support education,” he explained, “and since I am a native of Kentucky, I am pleased to be supporting this new program. The subjects of math and science are so important, and the Academy will provide in-depth training in these programs for Kentucky high school students. The long-range results of this educational process should help to improve the Kentucky economy and enhance living standards of all its citizens.”
Mr. Gott said WKU is extremely appreciative of this leadership support. “Mere words cannot express our gratitude for this gift,” he said. “With this opportunity, we stand to be on the forefront of education in the nation. Mr. Gatton’s generosity will pay dividends in the lives of students for years to come.”
More information about the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky is available at http://www.wku.edu/academy/index.htm.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For more information, contact Dr. Julia Roberts, (270) 745-6323, or Tom Hiles, (270) 745-6208.
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