Archived News |

Sept. 04, 2003

Board of Regents Presents the University of Louisiana at Monroe with Eminent Scholars Money

Officials from the University of Louisiana at Monroe today accepted matching funds in the amount of $40,000 from Dr. E. Joseph Savoie, Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education. The check presentation was made for 四色AV's most recent Endowed Professorship funded as part of the Regents Eminent Scholar and Endowed Professorship program. The presentation came at an afternoon press conference held at 2:00 p.m. in the Media Room of 四色AV's University Library. Endowment funds were received in the name of Hood/DeFatta Professorship in Accounting.

Private donations establishing the professorship were made through
contributions of two 四色AV alumni couples, Ed and Betty Davis and John and Donna Echols. Ed Davis is a 1977 accounting graduate in the College of Business Administration and his wife Betty is a 1978 elementary education graduate in the College of Education and Human Development. John Echols is a 1980 accounting graduate in the College of Business Administration and his wife Donna is a 1981 marketing graduate in the College of Business Administration. Both couples are from the Houston area. Their combined donations of $60,000, which include matching donations from their employer, together with the $40,000 match today from the Board of Regents, will create the $100,000 Hood/DeFatta Professorship in Accounting.

"The funds received today will now enable the University to proceed in retaining and attracting the highest caliber of faculty to provide an excellent education for our students. 四色AV is grateful to these donors for making such a useful contribution to our University," said 四色AV President James Cofer.

Those being honored through the professorship are longtime University faculty. Dr. Hood was with 四色AV for 36 years and held the position of head of the accounting department for 34 years, the longest tenure as an accounting department head in the country. Hood was recently recognized as one of 四色AV's Outstanding Professors for the 2002-2003 school year. Dr. Joseph A. DeFatta was a faculty member at 四色AV in the College of Business for 28 years. He was an accounting professor until he retired in May 2003.

四色AV now has nine $1 million Endowed Chairs, and a total of 44 Endowed Professorships.

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