January 23, 1997
BOLLINGER FAMILY CONTRIBUTES TO FIRST-EVER $1 MILLION ENDOWMENT AT NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY
THIBODAUX – A gift from a prominent Lockport family that will result in a $1 million endowment is the first and largest donation of it kind in Nicholls State University history, university president Donald J. Ayo said this week.
The Bollinger Family Endowed Chair in Business Administration is being established with donations from three generations of Bollingers. Donors include Donald G. Bollinger, George A. Bollinger, Richard N. “Dick” Bollinger, Donald T. “Boysie” Bollinger, Charlotte Bollinger, Andrea “Andie” Bollinger Suard and Christopher Bollinger. Each is a leader in the shipyard and marine service industries based in Lockport. The family’s total contribution of $600,000 qualifies the university to apply for $400,000 in matching funds from the Board of Regents’ Support Fund.
Boysie Bollinger is chairman and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards Inc. and chairman of the board for the NSU Foundation. As spokesman for the family, he said, “Nicholls has been a tremendous asset to this region of Louisiana. Many of our young people could never have attained a college education without having such a great university near where they live and work. We are very pleased that the Bollinger family could be the first to endow a chair at Nicholls State University.”
“The entire Nicholls community owes a debt of gratitude
to the Bollingers for this generous gift that will enhance the
College of Business Administration. As Nicholls State University
prepares for its 50th anniversary in 1998, the Bollinger Family
Endowed Chair will help us, not only in maintaining our status
as a quality institution, but in attracting the best and brightest
classroom teachers,” Ayo said.
Vice President for Institutional Advancement Ray Carney said
the university and the Nicholls State University Foundation
will continue to seek donors for faculty endowments, student
scholarships and capital improvements. “Contributors, both
large and small, are needed to keep Nicholls competitive in
today’s environment of higher education.”
Faculty endowments, including $100,000 endowed professorships and $1 million chairs will allow promising educators to conduct scholarly research and help offset the costs associated with research, faculty publications and library acquisitions.
Dr. Ridley Gros Jr., dean of the College of Business Administration, said, “The Bollinger family’s commitment to enhance the quality of education here at Nicholls renews our enthusiasm to improve what we do. Their generosity makes it possible for us to better serve the citizens of south Louisiana. This donation is a significant milestone for Nicholls State University and the College of Business Administration.”