Kennesaw State receives $1 million gift from Shaw Industries Inc.
A long−standing research partnership between Shaw Industries Inc. and Kennesaw State…
Georgia (Apr 15, 2003) — Kennesaw State receives $1 million gift from Shaw Industries Inc.
Staff
Abstract
A long−standing research partnership between Shaw Industries Inc. and Kennesaw State
University has taken on an added dimension. Thanks to a $1 million gift from the world's
largest carpet manufacturer‚ a distinguished chair will be endowed in the institution's
College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
"The Shaw Industries Distinguished Chair in History will be a permanent tribute to
the success of university−corporate partnerships‚" said Dr. Linda Noble‚ dean of the
College of Humanities and Social Sciences. "As a university known for its entrepreneurial
spirit‚ innovative research and educational programs‚ and dedication to community
service‚ we are proud to be associated with a world−renowned business such as Shaw
Industries. We look forward to a lasting association and are proud to have the Shaw
family name as an enduring part of our campus."
The endowment of this distinguished chair strengthens an already fruitful association
that blossomed in 1993 when then−Chairman J.C. Shaw collaborated with Kennesaw State
to support the research and publication of a history of the carpet industry‚ "Carpet
Capital: the Rise of a New South Industry‚" co−authored by KSU professors Randall
L. Patton and David B. Parker.
The success of that publication‚ lauded for "its balanced and candid accounts of a
home−grown Southern industry and entrepreneurial capitalism‚" motivated J.C. Shaw
to commission a second work by Dr. Patton‚ the recently published "Shaw Industries:
A History." It traces the company from its origins as a family−owned business through
its growth into a multinational corporation that recently joined Warren Buffett's
holding company‚ Berkshire−Hathaway.
In addition to those ventures‚ Shaw Industries also enjoys an active recruiting and
co−op arrangement with the university‚ and several KSU graduates have gone on to work
for the company.
"The special association that Shaw Industries and Kennesaw State University have forged
is a source of great pride to all who know it‚" said KSU President Betty L. Siegel.
"This gift will have an enormous impact on the educational quality of this university."
There is no greater academic distinction than that of an endowed chair‚ the holders
of which are often seen as important measures of a university's strength. KSU has
several such chairs‚ but this will be the first for the Department of History and
Philosophy. The distinguished chair endowed by Shaw will allow KSU to attract and
retain a faculty member of great quality whose scholarship and teaching in the Department
of History and Philosophy will enhance the entire academic program. This distinguished
historian‚ in turn‚ will draw gifted students and other talented faculty members to
the university.
"This is an outstanding gift‚ made all the more significant by the impact it will
have on KSU's history program and the challenging times during which it is being made‚"
said Kathleen Neitzel‚ associate vice president for development.
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences‚ in which the Department of History
and Philosophy is housed‚ is KSU's largest college‚ boasting more than 100 faculty
members and approximately 2‚145 undergraduate and graduate students. Of those‚ more
than 300 are history and social science education majors.
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Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive‚ residential institution with a growing
student population of 15‚600 from 118 countries. The fifth largest out of 34 institutions
in the University System of Georgia‚ KSU offers 55 undergraduate and graduate degree
programs.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its nearly 43,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
