Existing Endowments
The Lavern Norris Gaynor President’s Chair
Lavern Norris Gaynor, a member of the Hodges University
Foundation Board of Directors and the College’s initial recipient of the Hodges University
Humanitarian of the Year Award, has generously established the Lavern Norris Gaynor President’s Chair. Mrs. Gaynor is well known in the Naples Community for her philanthropy, as was her late husband, George Gaynor, whose name appears on the first building established at the Naples Campus. This is the first President’s Chair to be endowed in the State of Florida. This endowment will provide continuing support for unique visionary opportunities established by the Office of the President.
The Johnson School of Business
The Johnson School of Business at Hodges University is named after the late Kenneth Oscar Johnson, thanks, in part, from a generous gift from Mr. Johnson to our School of Business. Mr. Johnson was a founding member of the Hodges University
Foundation Board and American Military Veterans Education Fund Committee, which works to provide scholarship support to military veterans. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Johnson was a senior level executive in the Texas Oil Industry and he continued to advise energy companies on business strategy. Even after his passing in 2012, Mr. Johnson continues to serve as an inspiration to the students of the school named in his honor.
The Frances Pew Hayes Center for Lifelong Learning
The late Frances Pew Hayes, the 2002 recipient of the Hodges University
Humanitarian of the Year Award, was well known for her philanthropic support of children, the arts and education. Her legacy continues today through the Frances Pew Hayes Family Foundation, which has generously endowed the Center for Lifelong Learning, now named
The Frances Pew Hayes Center for Lifelong Learning. This endowment will provide continuing support for exceptional lifelong learning programs.
The Nichols School of Professional Studies
Jerry and the late Arlene Nichols have been instrumental in the growth and development of our institution and the community. In 2010, in honor of their generous support of the mission of Hodges University and its students, the School of Professional Studies at Hodges was renamed the Nichols School of Professional Studies. For many years, the Nichols’ have been a leading force in generously giving of their time and financial resources toward bettering the lives of children and working adults throughout the southwestern region of Florida. In doing so, they have become role models for so many more to give of their resources and talents.
The Fisher School of Technology
John W. Fisher III has been an enthusiastic supporter of Hodges University for many years. An alumnus of our institution, he knows firsthand of the challenges that our students face each day as they work toward achieving their academic goals. Much the same way that his grandfather and uncles, the historic Ball Brothers of Muncie, IN, acknowledged the importance of higher education, John has followed this heritage of giving by naming our Fisher School of Technology. This is an honor resulting from Mr. Fisher’s track record for success and, most importantly, his personal and professional values.