2008 Endowment Report - Guthries Demonstrate Passion for UW |
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Jack Guthrie was passionate about UW and its wider community, and he showed that commitment by supporting the things he believed in.
One of those things was the University of Wyoming Foundation, of which Jack was president. “Jack had a huge impact in establishing the University of Wyoming Foundation,” says Ben Blalock, President and CEO of the UW Foundation. “He had the leadership and the passion, and he understood the important role of private support in a public institution. We wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for Jack.”
Jack and his wife Pat have contributed to UW in so many ways. In 1995, they established the John A. Guthrie Sr. Distinguished Professorship in Banking and Finance in honor of Jack’s father. This tradition of leadership continues with an additional gift of $400,000 for the professorship. This funding, plus State of Wyoming match, brings the professorship to $1.2 million.
“Having a banking professorship endowed in the college of business just made sense,” says Pat.
“The Guthrie professorship helps support banks and financial institutions in Wyoming, and it has strengthened the relationship between UW and the industry,” says Brent Hathaway, Dean of the College of Business. “Banking is a critically important industry within the state, and this endowed faculty position plays a vital role in giving the next generation of bankers the educational experiences they need to be successful in their careers.”
Jack also shared his father’s profession—banking. Jack grew up in Laramie in the residence that now houses the UW Foundation, and his family owned what is now First Interstate Bank. Jack was a U.S. Naval officer in World War II. In 1947 he graduated from UW with a degree in Economics and then went on to receive an MBA from the Harvard Business School. After Harvard, Jack returned to Laramie to join his father in the banking profession as a teller. Finally, Jack was president and CEO of Bank of Laramie.
Pat and Jack were a good team, and they worked well together. “I always say that I don’t have an MBA, but I’ve earned one,” says Pat.
For the Guthries, the professorship is a part of much larger tradition of giving. Jack helped establish United Way of Albany County in 1949 and was a founding member of the Cowboy Joe Club. He and Pat have created a substantial endowment for the UW Art Museum. They also helped establish the 50th Class Reunion endowment for UW Libraries and created the Guthrie Family Foundation, which benefits residents of Laramie and of Albany County.
Jack passed away in 2002, but he will long be remembered for his generosity. “Jack was always very loyal to Laramie, to the university, and to Wyoming,” says Pat. “He felt strongly that we should support our community.”
Photo:
Pat and Jack Guthrie
Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2009
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