$3 million boosts UCA drive campaign to $72.5 million

CONWAY — University of Central Arkansas leaders said Friday that $72.5 million in pledges and donations have been raised since a fundraising campaign began in July 2016.

The campaign, which officials said is scheduled to end in July 2024, has a fundraising goal of 15,000 donors and $100 million overall, the largest campaign in the university’s history.

During a news conference Friday to announce what they called the “public phase” of the fundraising drive, officials announced that the $72.5 million raised so far includes a $3 million estate gift from Rush and Linda Harding, who are longtime UCA financial supporters.

The Hardings — who are co-chairs of “UCA Now: Impact Arkansas and Beyond” for 2021 — have provided financial support for scholarships, programs and endowed professorships for more than 30 years.

They have also given money to pay for the Amphitheater in the Student Center Courtyard and the Harding Centennial Fountain and Plaza, where officials held Friday’s news conference.

“This $100 million campaign again raises the bar for our university and places UCA in special company relative to peers,” said UCA President Houston Davis in a statement issued by the university. “Breaking through the ceiling of $100 million announces that our students, faculty, staff and alumni belong in this select company in American public education.”

Kay Hinkle, chairwoman of the UCA board of trustees, the governing body that hired Davis, praised the university’s president for his leadership throughout the campaign.