Conway Corporation, operator of Conway’s city-owned utility system, pledged $3 million to the University of Central Arkansas in December 2014. The Conway Corporation’s board of directors approved the gift, which will be used for the construction and renovation of UCA’s Lewis Science Center.
“This gift from Conway Corporation is one of the most significant developments in the history of the university,” said President Tom Courtway.
“These funds will enhance Lewis Science Center and will help provide state-of-the-art laboratories and scientific facilities for our students. It is another manifestation of why Conway Corporation was founded and continues the strong tradition of its support of higher education in Conway.”
The gift will be paid out over the course of five years at approximately $600,000 per year.
“We realize the importance of the University of Central Arkansas to Conway,” said Conway Corporation’s CEO Richard Arnold. “This gift will help continue to make UCA a premier institution of regional prominence. It will also enable the university to focus on providing a quality academic infrastructure for its students and faculty.”
Conway Corporation was created during an economic crisis in 1929 with the purpose of giving financial help to Conway colleges.
“Conway Corporation has, at its foundation, the support of higher education in our community. We were founded for this purpose in 1929 and are proud to continue that tradition,” Arnold said.
“Conway Corporation recognized in the beginning and recognizes now the importance of higher education to our local economy. The improvements and construction planned for the Lewis Science Center are of strategic importance for the university and Conway,” said Conway Corporation’s Board of Directors Chairman Bill Adkisson. “We further hope this gift can be leveraged if matching opportunities are identified and, if so, we pledge to assist university staff in tailoring our support to maximize those opportunities. The entire UCA community can take pride in the world-class education it provides thousands of men and women, as well as the impact the university’s graduates have on our community, state and nation.”