Terrill Family Donates Over $1 Million to Benefit UI, Expand Kibbie Dome
Monday, January 31 2000
January 31, 2000^^MEDIA CONTACT: Kathy Barnard, University Communications and Marketing, (208) 885-6291 or kbarnard@uidaho.edu. STORY CONTACT: Victoria Boone, associate vice president for advancement, (208) 885-7069 or victoria@uidaho.edu.^^Jim and Doreen Terrill, Idaho natives who graduated from the University of Idaho in the 1950s, are "giving back" to their alma mater with a cash gift of over $1 million. ^^Approximately half the funds will go toward the planned expansion of the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center East End; the other half is unrestricted for use by the university to further its strategic goals.^^"The University of Idaho did an excellent job of providing me and my wife, Doreen, with what we needed to succeed in any setting," Jim Terrill said. "It was that realization that made us think more seriously about giving back. It solidified our thinking that we had a responsibility to respond in kind."^^UI President Bob Hoover said the Terrills’ generosity will make a difference for the institution. "This kind of incredible support provides us with what we need to build a margin of excellence that sets us apart from our peers," he said. "It also is a testimonial to current and prospective students about what a University of Idaho education can mean to them. The Terrills have been annual supporters of the university for many years, working up to this gift."^^Doreen (Leppala) Terrill came to the UI in 1950. Jim served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. They were married in 1954. Following military service, Jim entered the UI in 1955 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1959. He earned high honors and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. ^^Among the Terrills’ fondest memories was the time they spent as proctor and hostess at Shoup and Upham Halls.^^Upon graduation, Jim Terrill started a 36-year career in the forest products industry, primarily in paperboard and packaging. With a start in sales and management, he eventually became president and CEO of Jefferson Smurfitt Corp., a Fortune 500 company with 22,000 employees and $4 billion in annual sales at the time of Terrill’s retirement at the end of 1996. ^^Terrill has been active in a variety of civic and professional organizations, and was named to the UI Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 1997.^^The couple currently spends half the year in the Coeur d’Alene area and winters in Tucson, Ariz.^^Approximately half of the Terrills’ gift will go toward a three-phase expansion of the Kibbie Dome. That construction is expected to begin this summer. It includes a new strength and conditioning center for student-athletes, enhanced locker room facilities, a student support center for academic tutoring and mentoring programs; a facility for rehabilitation and preventive training, a UI Athletic Hall of Fame and space for team meetings, offices and conference rooms. "The goal is to upgrade the essential intercollegiate athletic facilities so the university can remain competitive," said Athletic Director Mike Bohn.^^Terrill said he and his wife first heard of the East End project at a Vandal Booster luncheon in Coeur d’Alene. "We felt it was a worthy purpose, and it’s the kind of thing that pays great dividends for the university," he said. "We also were so impressed with the grade point average statistics of the student-athletes. They are student-athletes in the truest sense of the word."^^The remaining half million dollars of the Terrill gift will go toward achieving the UI’s strategic goals. "We were back on the Moscow campus in early 1997 and had the opportunity to listen to a presentation by President Hoover," Terrill said. "We were very impressed with the consistency of message, focused energy, strategic thinking and overall professionalism of President Hoover and his entire administration. You just can’t help but become excited by the inexhaustible pursuit of excellence on campus."^^The Terrill gift is part of The Campaign for Idaho, a multi-year fund-raising campaign geared at providing support for the strategic initiatives of the university. ^^^
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