USU recieves $25 million gift
The Emma Eccles Jones Foundation donated $25 million to the College of Education on Dec. 18, 2007.
This gift will go toward building a new early childhood education and research building and bringing in endowed professors over time, said Carol Strong, dean of the College of Education. A year and a half ago, the foundation gave the college $20,000 to plan the use of the most recent gift. The design phase will begin now, with ground breaking for the building hopefully in the fall, Strong said.
Sound Beginnings, a school for deaf children learning to talk, will be a part of the new building, along with a new language and literacy clinical for children with difficulty reading, Strong said. The Sound Beginnings program is currently in the Edith Bowen orchestra room, but Strong said this new facility will allow them more space and a permanent location. The building will combine research and education into a single spot allowing students many opportunities to do research, she said.
“This will bring together may of our early childhood research and programs into collaboration,” Strong said.
Over time, four to five endowed professors will be brought in to teach at the school, Strong said. While the college isn’t sure yet on what area these professors will be in, Strong said there will be at least one in math and science, with a special education needs early childhood education possible.
About $40 million total has been given to the College of Education by the Emma Eccles Jones foundation since 1985, Strong said. She said Jones taught with Edith Bowen, who has played a key role in USU’s education department, and their friendship led Jones to begin donating money to the school. “Jones’s legacy is one of dedication to the education of teachers and children,” President Stan Albrecht said. “This gift is a fitting tribute to her.”