WesBanco Gives West Liberty University $100,000 Endowment
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West Liberty University now has $100,000 courtesy of WesBanco to hire an American studies expert to teach at the university.
WLU and WesBanco announced Monday that WesBanco is providing WLU $100,000 for its first-ever endowed professorship. The money will be added to the Kenneth B. McMillen Fund in honor of McMillen, an associate professor of political science who died in 1985.
WLU President W. Franklin Evans has been on the job just three months, but had already begun to seek out donors for an endowed professorship at the school. He explained that before WesBanco stepped forward, he had approached multiple donors and had planned on perhaps combining their donations into an endowed professorship, and he hopes to establish more in the coming months.
Professor endowments provide WLU with extra dollars to recruit top experts in a field to teach at the university, according to Evans.
"It will assist in hiring somebody -- somebody who is among the best in their field in American studies," he said. "Those funds will not only help us to support that person through benefits, but also give us additional resources for that professorship.
"This is someone who is going to be working with students and other faculty members doing research, and it will be a big thing for the institution."
Evans hopes WLU next can move on to obtaining other endowed professorships in the sciences, and in business.
"The community has been very embracing," he said. "People have listened to me and my vision, so I am continuing to articulate. I am so extremely proud. I have been meeting with current donors, and even some potential donors, to get them engaged in what we are doing."
Evans said the endowment came about after having lunch with WesBanco Vice President Jeremy West, also a WLU alumnus. West then set up a meeting with WesBanco President and CEO Todd Clossin.
Clossin told him WLU wasn't just important to the community, but to the bank, as well. Many of its executives past and present are WLU graduates.
"We benefit an awful lot, and the community does too, from the quality of student that comes out of West Liberty University," Clossin said Monday. "We have a significant number of former (WLU) students throughout our organization.
"Anything we can do that benefits the university I think benefits the community at large, as well."
Angie Zambito-Hill, executive director of the WLU Foundation, said the foundation's goal is to reach $500,000 in this endowment fund by the end of fiscal year 2023,
"We are looking for additional donors who value Liberal Arts education and American Studies," she said.
The planned professorship means that the university can attract quality applicants and will strengthen the education of students studying the liberal arts at WLU, she said.
"Professor McMillen is beloved by our alumni and he is remembered fondly by many," Zambito-Hill said. "The WLU Foundation is thrilled to be able to now make this endowed professorship a reality with WesBanco's gift."
A special plaque honoring Professor McMillen and major donors to this first-ever endowed position will be installed soon in Elbin Library. For more information on donating to the McMillen fund, contact the WLU Foundation at 304-336-5635.