Gena and Neil Griffin College of Business Scholarship
Arkansas State University alumnus Neil Griffin of Kerrville, Texas, made a historic $10 million gift to his alma mater. In recognition of the largest individual gift to an academic program, the university requested from the ASU Board of Trustees approval to rename the business college as the Neil Griffin College of Business.
The $10 million gift will endow a range of scholarships, professorships and enhancement funds for the operations of the college. In addition, Griffin has made provisions for a follow-on estate gift that will provide significant future enhancements.
Among the individual areas established through the Griffin gift are three chairs or professorships: the H. B. Foster Bowdon Chair of Accounting, the Neil Griffin Dean of Business and the Neil Griffin Professor of Entrepreneurship. The endowment creates new Griffin Scholarships for students in the college, the Griffin Student Investment Fund for use by students in the university’s wealth management programs, and the Gena Griffin International Travel Fund, in recognition of Griffin’s wife. Finally, to ensure the ability to maintain a high level of excellence within the college, a Griffin Excellence Fund will provide discretionary funds for the new Griffin Dean of Business.
Impact
Thank you notes should be addressed to Mrs. Gena Griffin, wife of the late Mr. Neil Griffin. Mr. Griffin passed away in 2020 at the age of 93.
Per his obituary:
He was born on September 10, 1926, on a small family farm in Mississippi County Arkansas, near Osceola and Lepanto. He was one of the ten children of Samuel Yell and Lydia Iona Griffin, both deceased. Neil attended public school in Arkansas. He enlisted in the U. S. Navy in July 1943 before graduating from high school. He was honorably discharged in 1946. He served in the Pacific on an aircraft carrier as a Quarter Master 2/c. His ship participated in the invasions of Palau, Leyte Gulf, Lingagen Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. He was proud of his military service and was thankful for the G. I. Bill which provided for his higher education. He was dedicated to getting an education and following his service to his country he entered Arkansas State University based on entrance exams. He graduated in two and a half years with his B.S. degree in 1948. He attended graduate school at the University of Texas in Austin in 1949 – 1950 to receive an MS in professional accounting. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1950.
Neil’s business career included public accounting, chief financial officer of two publicly owned oil and mineral corporations, Chief Executive Officer of three corporations, corporate finance partner of an investment banking firm now part of UBS, vice-chairman of First City Bancorporation of Houston, Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Banks, Ltd. Of Denver, Colorado, owner and Chief Executive Officer of First National Bank of Kerrville, Texas. He was an investor in real estate development and oil and gas exploration and production. His associates have described him as having a positive outlook, and always generous and thoughtful for the welfare of his employees. He often commented that the most rewarding events of his business career were the thanks and praise he received from his associates and subordinates as they grew in their own careers. He was a beloved mentor. As Chief Executive Officer, Neil merged First National Bank of Kerrville, Texas, with Wells Fargo Bank, NA in the mid 1990’s.
Since retiring from banking, he has been semi-active in his real estate, oil and gas interests, and the management of his investments. His chief activity was devoted to philanthropy. His primary interests were education and health care.
The Neil & Elaine Griffin Foundation granted 142 scholarships to the youth of Kerr County, Texas. He made significant gifts to Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas, and he was a member of the university’s Board of Trustees. He was instrumental in the establishment of a community college campus in Kerrville as part of Alamo Colleges. He also endowed a scholarship fund for students of the Kerrville campus of Alamo Colleges. As a member of Eldorado Country Club in Indian Wells, California, he was influential in creating a scholarship fund for club employees and their dependents. The fund now has over $3 million in scholarship funds available.
Neil was honored in 2015 by Kerrville’s Families & Literacy organization as a Champion of Education. The organization supports adult students without a high school diploma achieve their GED certification and adults whose first language is not English to obtain the necessary skills to be active contributors in the life of the community. He established a scholarship at Arkansas State University, his alma mater, to benefit young people from Arkansas and southeast Missouri. In 2019 Arkansas State University, thanks to a major contribution, honored him by naming their new College of Business building the Neil Griffin College of Business. They also presented him with an Honorary PhD. Early in 2020, Neil was awarded the Lamar Medal, which was created in 1977, and is presented each year by members of the Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors, the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas and the Texas Association of Community Colleges. Neil was nominated for the award jointly by Schreiner University and Alamo Colleges District.
Neil had a keen interest in health care and medical research. He served on the Board of Visitors for The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, for many years. In recognition of his contributions and fundraising efforts, M. D. Anderson honored him by naming their conference center "The F. O’Neil “Neil” Griffin Conference Center". He was a supporter of the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston. He was a past member of the Texas Board of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. His name appears at the front entry of Kerrville’s Peterson Regional Medical Center.
Neil loved golf and often said he wished he had started playing before his early 30’s. His favorite golfing venues were River Oaks Country Club of Houston, Texas; Cherry Hills Country Club of Denver, Colorado; Eldorado Country Club of Indian Wells, California; and Riverhill Country Club of Kerrville, Texas. At one time he belonged to so many clubs, he jokingly wondered if he was in violation of the United States Golf Association’s 14-club rule. He loved the game’s integrity and the fellowship he found in playing it. He was proud of his four holes-in-one.
Neil was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Kerrville, Texas. He attributed his desire to help others to his sound Christian faith and the teachings from the Holy Scriptures. Neil blessed and changed the lives of everyone he met. Our lives have been enriched by him and his example of a Christ-centered life well lived.