WEST PLAINS, Mo. — Missouri State University-West Plains students will soon benefit from the largest gift in the campus’ history – a $4 million gift that will endow and expand the Corps of Opportunity Program and two athletics scholarships.
The gift to the Missouri State University Foundation is from the Lorene Thompson Brooks estate. In recognition, the Corps of Opportunity Program will be renamed the Ed and Lorene Thompson Brooks Corps of Opportunity Program. It is the largest scholarship gift in the Foundation’s history.
Lorene Thompson Brooks was born Feb. 27, 1930, in Stotesbury, Mo. Her family moved to Koshkonong, Mo. in 1941. She graduated from Koshkonong High School in 1948 and attended Draughon Business University in Springfield.
Brooks died Dec. 20, 2010, in Austin, Texas. Her older brother, Bob Thompson, and his wife, Eva, are her survivors and live in West Plains. When Brooks’ only child, Diedre, died of cancer in the late 90s, a relative suggested the daughter’s collection of books be given to the Garnett Library at Missouri State University-West Plains. This began a long-lasting relationship that spawned a continued interest in the campus and its students, resulting in this bequest to the university for need-based scholarships.
“Today we are announcing that Mrs. Lorene Brooks has left her entire estate of $4 million dollars to Missouri State University-West Plains to fund need-based scholarships,” said Dr. Drew Bennett, chancellor of Missouri State University-West Plains. “This is the single largest gift Missouri State University-West Plains has ever received and the single largest scholarship gift ever given to the Missouri State University system. Mrs. Brooks has left a lasting legacy with this magnificent estate gift. She was passionate about helping students with financial need achieve a college education, and this historical gift will do just that by allowing us to endow and fully fund our Corps of Opportunity Program, which will double the number of students benefiting from this program.
“The gift also will fully cover the cost of two Grizzly Athletics scholarships, which is very fitting since Mrs. Brooks was a real fan of collegiate athletics. A gift of this magnitude is both humbling and inspiring. It is important to highlight that Mrs. Brooks believed Missouri State University-West Plains worthy of such a gift. The things we do every day to help students succeed are not only recognized by organizations like the Aspen Institute, which selected our campus as one of those in the top 10 percent of all two-year schools, but our efforts also are recognized by citizens who want to improve life in the Ozarks.”
The Corps of Opportunity Program combines scholarships and on-campus work opportunities for qualified students who need financial help to pay for their college education. Although federal and state financial aid programs provide assistance to students who have the greatest financial need, the Corps of Opportunity Program targets students who have unmet financial need, whether or not they received benefits from one of these government programs.
“As we focus on access to higher education for all students, financial aid becomes increasing important,” said Interim President Clif Smart. “The need-based scholarships this fund will provide for West Plains students may very well mean the difference between a student getting a college degree and not. That is the significance of this gift. It will have a positive impact on students’ lives.”
In addition to providing much needed financial assistance to students, the Corps of Opportunity Program provides students with on-campus jobs that will enable them to fund their education. The program was started in the 2008 summer semester and currently benefits up to eight students each academic year.
“This gift illustrates that friend raising often happens outside the confines of the development office,” said Elizabeth Grisham, director of development on the West Plains campus. “The relationships that faculty and staff have with others in the community are instrumental in building connections to Missouri State-West Plains. We are grateful to those university employees who established a friendship with Mrs. Brooks and communicated the importance of this campus in our rural region. We also want to extend a special thanks to Mrs. Brooks’ brother, Bob Thompson, for helping bring this gift to fruition. It is indeed a momentous day at Missouri State University-West Plains.”
The gift is part of Our Promise: The Campaign for Missouri State University. Information about the campaign is available at www.ourpromise.missouristate.edu. Anyone wanting to give to the campaign can do so online.