The Herman Lee and Nell Stuart Donovan Memorial Endowment

Monday, December 5, 2016

At the University of Kentucky, we know that we are building upon a legacy of excellence in academics, research, service and care. We see it every day on our campus—impact and innovation made possible because of those who came before us.

In 1963, an endowment was created as a permanent trust, by former UK president Herman Lee Donovan.

The Herman Lee and Nell Stuart Donovan Memorial Endowment serves to continuously improve the campus in fresh, new ways. The Donovan Trust states that "no part of this endowment ever be spent for ordinary recurring expenses of operation or maintenance, but that it be spent for what are so frequently thought of as the luxuries of an institution, such as beautiful books, for the promotion of musical programs, for acquiring beautiful pictures, for the production of flowers and shrubs, or for any investment that will promote an appreciation of the lovely and beautiful in the environment in which students live and study.”

Decades later, the Donovan Trust maintains its legacy of making our campus more beautiful, interesting and inviting for all members of the UK community. Most recently, the endowment has funded the purchase of a 4’ X 7’ Photographic Art Installation in the Wethington Building, Asian musical instrument ensembles and Balinese shadow puppets, and art that shows the beauty of the nervous system to be hung in the lecture hall of Introduction of Neuroscience.

Faculty, staff and students at the University of Kentucky are invited to submit proposals for the 2016-2017 academic year. Awards may range from $1,000 to $15,000.

Projects must meet the purposes stipulated in the Trust as follows:

“…for the promotion and creation of an atmosphere and environment of culture, refinement, and gentility to encourage the growth of the students into gentlemen and women whose education may reflect the influence of such an atmosphere and environment;

To enrich the educational opportunities by providing increased stimulus to the students to cultivate and develop into men and women with an appreciation of the qualities of beauty and loveliness…”

Anyone interested may download a copy of the application from the Office of the Treasurer website at http://www.uky.edu/EVPFA/Controller/ or call Mary Fister-Tucker, chair of the Advisory Committee for the Donovan Trust, at 257-2956.

Applications must be submitted by January 31, 2017.

The Advisory Committee for The Donovan Trust will consider all eligible proposals. In some cases, the Advisory Committee may request a more detailed proposal or request the applicant to make a presentation on the project. Applicants will be contacted if additional information or a presentation is necessary.

I hope many members of the UK family will take part in this great tradition.

Eric N. Monday
@UKYMonday
#seeblue