Cooper Alumni Center

Map to Cooper Alumni Center

_____

See the interior of the beautiful new Cooper Alumni Center

_____

The Cooper Alumni Center, at 2600 Alumni Blvd on the ASU-Jonesboro campus, was designed by Dale and Associates Architects of Jackson, Mississippi.  The exterior shell of the building was constructed by Olympus Construction.  Phase II including the interior finish, detail work and completion of the structure was completed by Baldwin Shell Construction under the supervision of Jerry Brackett of Brackett Krennerich Architects in Jonesboro. It is built on the site of what is often remembered as A-State's 'old pavilion.' The building site was identified during the tenure of ASU President Eugene Smith '52 who served from 1984-92 and as Interim President 1994-95.

In 2003, the ASU Alumni Association received a $2 million gift from Darrell Cooper '64 and Charlotte Pugh Cooper '64 of Clarkston, Michigan, toward the construction. The Coopers' gift started the fundraising for the privately-funded facility, named the Cooper Alumni Center in recognition of their gift.

Other major donors to the facility with areas named for them include the E. C. Barton Company of Jonesboro; Paula and Jim Callaway '68 of Dallas; Sam and Marilyn McCracken Hummelstein '74 of Jonesboro; the family of the late Marlin Jackson '58 of Conway; the Kays Foundation at ASU-Jonesboro; Mary Ellen and Lavon Wells '65 of Dallas, who are in the process of moving to Jonesboro; Ann Smithwick Reynolds '70 and Stephen Reynolds '68 of Memphis, and Dr. and Mrs. Alonzo Williams '73 of Little Rock.

Groundbreaking for the Cooper Alumni Center took place on April 28, 2005. The first event in the Cooper Alumni Center was the 2008 Distinguished Alumni reception on Friday, Sept. 19, 2008. A private tour of the facility was held Saturday morning, Sept. 20, for 1924 Sustaining Life Members and other donors who helped make the building possible. That afternoon, a 'soft opening' tailgate party took place as part of Homecoming 2008. The official dedication of the building was on Oct. 17, 2008.

The Cooper Alumni Center is a multipurpose facility available for meetings, receptions, and community events. It includes a banquet room, history room, board room, upper and lower lobby reception areas covering approximately 20,000 square feet.The banquet room accommodates seated dinners for up to 200 people, and can be divided by moveable walls into three separate areas. The history room is named for the late Marlin Jackson in honor of a gift from the Jackson family. The Board Room is named for the Kays Foundation in honor of their gift. The back terrace overlooking the lake, which is named for Jim and Paula Callaway, will contain engraved bricks available for purchase. The Cooper Alumni Center includes office space for Alumni Relations, the Development Office, and the Vice-Chancellor for University Advancement.

As of 2009, there more than 61,000 ASU alumni. The ASU Alumni Association in a non-profit organization created to involve alumni and friends in the mission of the university. It had 3,091 members as of Sept. 30, 2008. Interest in an Alumni Association began in 1924 with the first thirteen graduating classes of the First District State Agricultural High School.

Here are what people are saying about the Cooper Alumni Center:

"Every great university has an alumni building as its centerpiece, a place that ties in current students with alumni as well as friends of the university. Our alumni now have a place to gather, the Cooper Alumni Center. The Alumni Center was a vision for many people for a long time. We planned for many years before the vision became a reality, and there are still opportunities for donations and naming opportunities. I believe people will want to be involved with it when they see it. The Cooper Alumni Center truly belongs to members of the ASU Alumni Association as well as all alumni of the university." -- Gary Pugh '68 of Pocahontas, current president of the ASU Alumni Association

"We've never had our own place on campus for visiting alumni. That was a driving force for raising the funds and getting this project completed. It is our goal for alumni to come back to campus and meet at the Alumni Center before walking to the stadium or going to the Fowler Center. They can visit our History Room to look at photos in old yearbooks, and to reminisce about their college days. We hope to capture some of their so we can be part of preserving ASU history, especially now as we are heading into our Centennial celebration." -- Beth Smith '82 MA '03, executive director, ASU Alumni Association

 “While attending ASU, I not only had what I consider a quality educational experience, but also I met professors, teachers and friends who profoundly influenced my life. I met my wife and my inspiration of 40 years, Charlotte Pugh. I am grateful for the opportunity and education that attending ASU has afforded me. These opportunities contributed in many ways to my success in life.  It occurred to me that these opportunities do not exist solely because of some legislative stroke of the pen, but are due in a large part to private donors. Many of the buildings and programs at ASU bear the names of these donors. These are people who I never knew, and they never knew me.  Yet, they contributed to help make an educational opportunity for me and others. I believe that it is fitting that I put something back into the system that has not only allowed me to succeed, but has contributed to my success. Stephen Covey suggests that we should strive to live, to love, to learn, and to leave a legacy. I believe that the ASU Alumni Center is an excellent opportunity to leave a legacy to ASU. I believe that every ASU alum has been touched and has benefited from his or her ASU experience. If they will reflect on ASU's contribution to their own success and happiness, I am confident that they will be motivated to leave a legacy to ASU. One of the great things about ASU is that any amount you give makes a difference in the lives of the students." -- Darrell Cooper '64, major donor whose gift started the fundraising for what was named the Cooper Alumni Center

For more information on the Alumni Association or the Cooper Alumni Center, contact the ASU Alumni office at 870-972-ALUM (2586), or email alumni@astate.edu.